Comment by OGEnthusiast

15 hours ago

What's going to happen to all the millions of drivers who will lose their job overnight? In a country with 100 million guns, are we really sure we've thought this through?

Yes, let's stop all progress and roll-back all automation to keep hypothetical angry people with guns happy.

  • Autonomous private cars is not the technological progress you think it is. We’ve had autonomous trains for decades, and while it provides us with a more efficient and cost effective public transit system, it didn’t open the doors for the next revolutionary technology.

    Self driving cars is a dead end technology, that will introduce a whole host of new problems which are already solved with public transit, better urban planning, etc.

    • > We’ve had autonomous trains for decades

      Trains need tracks, cars - already have the infrastructure to drive on.

      > Self driving cars is a dead end technology, that will introduce a whole host of new problems which are already solved with public transit, better urban planning, etc.

      Self driving cars will literally become a part of public transit

      2 replies →

    • Unfortunately, many of our urban areas have already been planned (for better or worse) for cars and not the density that makes public transit viable. Autonomous cars will solve a host of problems for the old, young, mobility limited, and just about everyone else.

      It will prove disruptive to the driving industry, but I think we’ve been through worse disruptions and fared the better for it.

    • > Self driving cars is a dead end technology

      I would be happy to bet on some strict definition of your claim.

    • Nope. Humans are statistically fallible and their attention is too valuable to be obliged to a mundane task like executing navigation commands. Redesigning and rebuilding city transportation infrastructure isn't happening, look around. Also personal agency limits public transportation as a solution.

      3 replies →

Waymo has been operating since 2004 (22 years ago), and replacing drivers on the road will take many more decades. Nothing is happening "overnight".

If Waymo's history is any guide, it's not going to happen overnight. Even in San Francisco, their market share is only 20-30%.

this sounds like a major benefit.

i dont want my uber driver bragging anout how theyre going to shoot me before i get out of the car

> What's going to happen to all the millions of drivers who will lose their job overnight? In a country with 100 million guns, are we really sure we've thought this through?

Same was said about electricity, or the internet.

  • People keep referencing history but this really is unprecedented. We are approaching singularity and many people will become obsolete in all areas. There are no new hypothetical jobs waiting on the horizon.

Reminds me of the history or radio and the absolute uproar that someone played a record on the radio rather than live performances!!

same thing that happened during the industrial revolution, you pay enough of them to 'protect the law' vs the rest.

I don't think Uber goes out of business. There is probably a sweet spot for Waymo's steady state cars, and you STILL might want 'surge' capabilities for part time workers who can repurpose their cars to make a little extra money here and there.

Those are rookie numbers. The US has 400 million guns. https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/united-states-gun-owners...

As to the revolt, America doesn't do that any more. Years of education have removed both the vim and vigor of our souls. People will complain. They will do a TikTok dance as protest. Some will go into the streets. No meaningful uprising will occur.

The poor and the affected will be told to go to the trades. That's the new learn to program. Our tech overlords will have their media tell us that everything is ok (packaging it appropriately for the specific side of the aisle).

Ultimately the US will go down hill to become a Belgium. Not terrible, but not a world dominating, hand cutting entity it once was.

  • > Ultimately the US will go down hill to become a Belgium.

    Sharing one's opinion in a respectful way is possible. Less spectacle, so less eyeballs, but worth it. Try it.

  • > Ultimately the US will go down hill to become a Belgium.

    I'm curious why you say this given you start by highlighting several characteristics that are not like Belgium (to wit, poor education, political media capture, effective oligarchy). I feel there are several other nations that may be better comparators, just want to understand your selection.