The examples in that piece are truly horrifying. I think the description of driverless cars as "car shaped robots" is far more accurate, and should be deployed widely. Because "car shaped robot" has a whole different connotation to it than "driverless car". "Driverless car" brings to mind "horseless carriage" which is what first gen automobiles were described as, in which the propulsion mechanism (horse) is replaced by an engine, which in many ways was a boon to both horses and people, since fewer horses were brutalised and worked to death in service of transport once engines took over, and humans benefited from a form of transport with much less maintenance and care requirements, as well as the greater speed and pulling power of an automatic engine.
"Driverless car" implies something similar has happened in that the driver has been replaced by automation, so you can read your book on the way to work or something equally benign, but it disguises the fact that drivers have much greater responsibilities on the road than simply sitting behind the wheel. This current crop of autonomous vehicles is demonstrating a profound lack of understanding of both those responsibilities and the nuances required to navigate them, such that the benign connotation of "driverless car" doesn't begin to convey the gulf between it and "horseless carriage".
"Car shaped robot" implies an otherness to these devices that "driverless car" does not, and that otherness would serve us well in evaluating the way these machines engage not just with other road users, but with the people and infrastructure that surround them.
We saw one in LA while we were in an Uber. It stayed alongside us for a few kilometres, no one in it at all, driving at about 60kph. At one point I thought I saw it indicating to get into our lane. The driver sped up to stop it.
Very appropriate historical reference in the lead image. Nice.
FWIW it's been seriously suggested that the way to make self-driving cars "work" is to install people-proof barriers along all gutters, to physically separate the pedestrians from the roadways, to keep them safe. Apparently there are towns in England where that was done when horseless-carriages were first introduced...
Considering some of the moronic things I've seen human drivers do, AI could surely be no worse, right? I mean, they were assembled and taught by tech bros, and that has gone swimmingly for the rest of their output. Meanwhile, I'll keep piloting a car that has zero robotics. Not even ABS. But it does have a fuck off big bull bar.
I have one car with some bells and whistles and my Ute definitely doesn't have any bells or whistles, except a stereo I managed to install myself (proud moment for me) but I drove a hire car which kept telling me I was drifting, or wasn't alert and dragged me back into the lane, which was a pain to manage when I was driving on some NZ twisty roads. But I managed to get my phone to change songs on Spotify by voice command , which was kinda neat and I managed to skip Amyl and the Sniffers and listen to something good.
I kind of really want self driving cars because I hate driving when there are other people on the road because they don't defer to me like the God Emperor of the Roads that I rightfully am.
Be better for my mental health and blood pressure if I could sit back, open the e-book reader and read whilst being driven to work by the correct use of machine intelligence.
The examples in that piece are truly horrifying. I think the description of driverless cars as "car shaped robots" is far more accurate, and should be deployed widely. Because "car shaped robot" has a whole different connotation to it than "driverless car". "Driverless car" brings to mind "horseless carriage" which is what first gen automobiles were described as, in which the propulsion mechanism (horse) is replaced by an engine, which in many ways was a boon to both horses and people, since fewer horses were brutalised and worked to death in service of transport once engines took over, and humans benefited from a form of transport with much less maintenance and care requirements, as well as the greater speed and pulling power of an automatic engine.
"Driverless car" implies something similar has happened in that the driver has been replaced by automation, so you can read your book on the way to work or something equally benign, but it disguises the fact that drivers have much greater responsibilities on the road than simply sitting behind the wheel. This current crop of autonomous vehicles is demonstrating a profound lack of understanding of both those responsibilities and the nuances required to navigate them, such that the benign connotation of "driverless car" doesn't begin to convey the gulf between it and "horseless carriage".
"Car shaped robot" implies an otherness to these devices that "driverless car" does not, and that otherness would serve us well in evaluating the way these machines engage not just with other road users, but with the people and infrastructure that surround them.
Really problems with the techbros driverless cars you say, wHy DiDn'T aNyOnE SaY tHiS mIgHt HaPpEn.
We saw one in LA while we were in an Uber. It stayed alongside us for a few kilometres, no one in it at all, driving at about 60kph. At one point I thought I saw it indicating to get into our lane. The driver sped up to stop it.
i wonder if the roads of the future will just be empty cars (because we are long gone) trying to road rage each other endlessly merging lanes
Very appropriate historical reference in the lead image. Nice.
FWIW it's been seriously suggested that the way to make self-driving cars "work" is to install people-proof barriers along all gutters, to physically separate the pedestrians from the roadways, to keep them safe. Apparently there are towns in England where that was done when horseless-carriages were first introduced...
Considering some of the moronic things I've seen human drivers do, AI could surely be no worse, right? I mean, they were assembled and taught by tech bros, and that has gone swimmingly for the rest of their output. Meanwhile, I'll keep piloting a car that has zero robotics. Not even ABS. But it does have a fuck off big bull bar.
I have one car with some bells and whistles and my Ute definitely doesn't have any bells or whistles, except a stereo I managed to install myself (proud moment for me) but I drove a hire car which kept telling me I was drifting, or wasn't alert and dragged me back into the lane, which was a pain to manage when I was driving on some NZ twisty roads. But I managed to get my phone to change songs on Spotify by voice command , which was kinda neat and I managed to skip Amyl and the Sniffers and listen to something good.
I kind of really want self driving cars because I hate driving when there are other people on the road because they don't defer to me like the God Emperor of the Roads that I rightfully am.
Be better for my mental health and blood pressure if I could sit back, open the e-book reader and read whilst being driven to work by the correct use of machine intelligence.