quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
the flaw in this entire thread is that there has never been a compelling need to have a driverless vehicle in the first place

I would have thought the reason this tech was being pursued is obvious. The trucking industry alone is a huge market.

People like me who would get rid of their car if I could call an autonomous Uber is another huge market.

Lives lost to drunk/distracted driving is another easy one.

Sure, let's just kill off an entire industry. Roughly 3.5 million jobs gone thanks to a desire to have "safer" roads! Now, come up with 3.5 million new jobs so their families can continue eating.

Why not just get rid of your car now and call Uber? Not much stopping you and at least you'd be supporting your local economy.

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
the flaw in this entire thread is that there has never been a compelling need to have a driverless vehicle in the first place

I would have thought the reason this tech was being pursued is obvious. The trucking industry alone is a huge market.

People like me who would get rid of their car if I could call an autonomous Uber is another huge market.

Lives lost to drunk/distracted driving is another easy one.

Sure, let's just kill off an entire industry. Roughly 3.5 million jobs gone thanks to a desire to have "safer" roads! Now, come up with 3.5 million new jobs so their families can continue eating.

Why not just get rid of your car now and call Uber? Not much stopping you and at least you'd be supporting your local economy.

Yeah but the robot uber probably won’t make inane small talk with you while you are trying to listen to a podcast in the back. Innovation happens....there’s no fighting it.

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
the flaw in this entire thread is that there has never been a compelling need to have a driverless vehicle in the first place

I would have thought the reason this tech was being pursued is obvious. The trucking industry alone is a huge market.

People like me who would get rid of their car if I could call an autonomous Uber is another huge market.

Lives lost to drunk/distracted driving is another easy one.

Sure, let's just kill off an entire industry. Roughly 3.5 million jobs gone thanks to a desire to have "safer" roads! Now, come up with 3.5 million new jobs so their families can continue eating.

Why not just get rid of your car now and call Uber? Not much stopping you and at least you'd be supporting your local economy.

We don't worry about an industry dying to the free market...that's what makes it a free market.

As for Uber, it's not reliable enough for me now. The idea is that autonomous Ubers will basically be guaranteed to get to me when needed. What if I want an Uber to a meeting and no one is working? I live in a relatively small town, Uber being available isn't a given.

Having said all that, the biggest reason I can't do it now is because of cost. The driver is a huge portion or the cost of an Uber. As a result, Uber isn't cheaper than owning my car now.

It's removing the cost of the driver that makes an Autonomous-Uber so much cheaper than owning my own car.

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
the flaw in this entire thread is that there has never been a compelling need to have a driverless vehicle in the first place

A bunch of drunk driving assholes or cousin fucking morons who don’t know the difference between a gas peddle and a brake peddle is enough of a compelling reason for me. Over the years I have been hit by other idiot drivers 5-6 times. Never was it by a self driving car

Texting, drunk, stoned, elderly - you name it.

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:

Sure, let's just kill off an entire industry. Roughly 3.5 million jobs gone thanks to a desire to have "safer" roads! Now, come up with 3.5 million new jobs so their families can continue eating.

Thank you comrade, we will prop up an industry that is unable to modernize with the free market to put food on the table for the families. Your communist roots are well founded and pure.

- Joe Stalin

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:

People like me who would get rid of their car if I could call an autonomous Uber is another huge market.

I simply just cannot relate to this. Have you never just had the urge to go for a drive...Down to the coast? To the lake? Up a mountain pass? Down a dirt road? Just you, your car, some good tunes, and your thoughts.

Man, I just don't get it.

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:
Sure, let's just kill off an entire industry. Roughly 3.5 million jobs gone thanks to a desire to have "safer" roads! Now, come up with 3.5 million new jobs so their families can continue eating.

People have said stuff like this for every big new technology and lots of little ones for centuries.

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
the flaw in this entire thread is that there has never been a compelling need to have a driverless vehicle in the first place

From experience in the tech industry, the push for driverless cars is that some folks think there is money to be made selling driverless cars. They may be right about the market for the product, they may be wrong about it, but they are pushing like hell to be the first ones to get their product to market. The reason for that is that they are hoping to make bank.

The initial push has absolutely nothing to with control and everything to do with making money. This is no different than social media. If/when the technology is established and if there exists an opportunity to exert control, some individual will come along who thinks exerting that control is a good idea. That isn’t the initial driver though, just a (very) likely result.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by esdunbar:

People like me who would get rid of their car if I could call an autonomous Uber is another huge market.

I simply just cannot relate to this. Have you never just had the urge to go for a drive...Down to the coast? To the lake? Up a mountain pass? Down a dirt road? Just you, your car, some good tunes, and your thoughts.

Man, I just don't get it.

I'm a 40 year old who is in the prime of my working career and runs a $100,000,000/year company...with three kids.

Lol there's no time for that.

Folks younger than me have no idea what you're talking about. I get that some folks can't relate to the idea of not owning a car, but there is an entire generation coming who can't relate to the idea of actually owning one.

I'm amazed at how many high school kids don't have their driver's license. They turn 16 and have no desire to get one

There is the market that these companies are aiming to serve. Not everyone has to be part of, or even understand it, for such a market for it to exist.

I do think insurance cost will eventually require almost everyone to participate in it though.