In the U.S., we spent last week celebrating Independence Day — the day we split from a government that our ancestors didn’t trust because it was disconnected from the people. It is fascinating to watch the leaks coming out lately, which suggest our government is acting against the best interests of the people, given that the focus is to neutralize the leakers rather than refocus government attention on the people’s needs. This struck me as I read an article that implied this problem was somehow created by bad marketing.
Five years definitely seems a bit soon for this to be such a big deal. Between getting regulatory approval and having it implemented into cars even after getting it all finalized for a final product it seems like a bit of a longer term problem. Not that we don't need to think about the problems they will cause. How much would you think they would cost at the beginning? That seems like that could also put off the problem at least a bit longer as well. Although I guess the companies (the ones who employ lots of people) would most likely be able to spend the money on it.
Sigh.. Yeah.. The small number of jobs lost to driverless buses will be the straw that breaks the camel's back, not having delusional ideas about minimum wages and cost of living, half the jobs being "service industry", or bloody "temp" jobs, the later of which has this trajectory, "You will get 60 hours for the first few weeks, while we get things going, then 40, then 30, then 15, then.. well, now you are costing us too much, so we will have to replace you with new temps.", the refusal of everyone, including (or especially) the government to support jobs dealing with maintaining infrastructure (which, btw, would include those driverless buses), and on, and on.
The reality is, there may be some such driverless systems in 10 years, maybe, but its not going to be massive, high end, shipping. Not, mind you, unless everyone drags their asses and refuses to build light rail, thus making the driverless shipping a necessity. And, even then, there are going to be major limitations. Driverless cabs? Not bloody likely. The value of cabs is that the drivers can get you places you need, by knowing the city very, very, well. A driverless vehicle might know the "roads" really well, but it can't predict how the actual city is going to change, based on, say, a convention that isn't in its database, and what that does to traffic.
Buses, are a fixed route, and timed, and thus, a bit of a different story, maybe... So, no, I don't think we are going to see a problem in 10 years. We are going to see one though, and, its hardly a surprise that all the idiots will be blaming the government for the result, instead of the damn business world, who are the ones really responsible for deciding that they would rather have 50 out of work people staring in annoyance at the bus they can't afford to ride, than actually a) hire them to do something, or b) pay them anything. Its not the government's job to stiffle adoption of technology. It *is* their job, which they are not doing, to encourage new jobs, and help us adapt to any resulting changes. And.. ironically, in that regard, the right is worse than the left, since they don't want the government involved ***at all*** in creating jobs, encouraging jobs, in regulating industry, etc.
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How Self-Driving Cars Could Lead US Citizens to Revolt
Posted by: Rob Enderle July 8, 2013 05:00 AMIn the U.S., we spent last week celebrating Independence Day — the day we split from a government that our ancestors didn’t trust because it was disconnected from the people. It is fascinating to watch the leaks coming out lately, which suggest our government is acting against the best interests of the people, given that the focus is to neutralize the leakers rather than refocus government attention on the people’s needs. This struck me as I read an article that implied this problem was somehow created by bad marketing.
The reality is, there may be some such driverless systems in 10 years, maybe, but its not going to be massive, high end, shipping. Not, mind you, unless everyone drags their asses and refuses to build light rail, thus making the driverless shipping a necessity. And, even then, there are going to be major limitations. Driverless cabs? Not bloody likely. The value of cabs is that the drivers can get you places you need, by knowing the city very, very, well. A driverless vehicle might know the "roads" really well, but it can't predict how the actual city is going to change, based on, say, a convention that isn't in its database, and what that does to traffic.
Buses, are a fixed route, and timed, and thus, a bit of a different story, maybe... So, no, I don't think we are going to see a problem in 10 years. We are going to see one though, and, its hardly a surprise that all the idiots will be blaming the government for the result, instead of the damn business world, who are the ones really responsible for deciding that they would rather have 50 out of work people staring in annoyance at the bus they can't afford to ride, than actually a) hire them to do something, or b) pay them anything. Its not the government's job to stiffle adoption of technology. It *is* their job, which they are not doing, to encourage new jobs, and help us adapt to any resulting changes. And.. ironically, in that regard, the right is worse than the left, since they don't want the government involved ***at all*** in creating jobs, encouraging jobs, in regulating industry, etc.