[LeopoldvonRanke]

Absolutely-

Making it a mandate that all cars produced be ‘autonomous’ will be the next thing that comes up to the plate.

Imagine a world where to get into your car - you have to pay a toll, and the car won’t turn on unless the government says it’s ok. The government offers you free ‘autonomous cars’, ostensibly for public safety.

The government can now track where you go and when, and at no time are you free.

The government can pull you off the road at any time, turn off your car, shut it down. If you aren’t in control - who is?

[marktwain]

It could be done that way, and we should certainly work to prevent it.

However, current autonomous vehicles do not need any feedback to any outside grid or network. They are “passive” collectors of gps data and do not send data outside of their interior. They offer the potential to give a lot more privacy than they take, because they have the potential not to require a licensed driver.

Consider that you could go on the freeway for a 6 hour trip, and take a nap until you reach your destination or need to fuel up. The potential for saving manpower and increasing productivity is very large.

[marktwain]

I see it coming about as an evolutionary process. First level steering and braking as an improved, super cruise control, then full autonomous driving on Interstate only, with the requirement for a driver to be on-board, then full autonomous driving in cities and rural areas, finally, in a couple of decades, full autonomous driving without a licensed driver on board.

It could be the next best thing for freedom before the air car.