Posted on 11/21/2018 9:48:13 AM PST by chief lee runamok
If there’s a lawyer on the ground do you really want the self driving car to stop?
“They don’t need to communicate with your self driving car to track you in the real world.”
It certainly makes it a lot easier for them.
“And it’s not like turning off your car is a major advance. If the police are determined to stop you, they pretty much can.”
Sure, except now they could just push a button and you would be locked in your car in a location they know and can just round you up at their leisure. Makes their job a whole lot easier, and ripe for abuse.
“And again, self-driving doesn’t mean that communications to the outside world are necessary, much less that remote shutoff of your car is a necessary feature.”
Sorry, but it pretty much is “necessary”. This is software we are talking about, and software requires updates, which requires remote communication. If you don’t think the government would find a way to get access to remote control through that communication network, then I can only conclude you haven’t been paying attention to the government as it is nowadays.
The way to deal with that is to pass laws that require vehicles to not be able to be shut down remotely and not provide tracking information with external communications. You need proper checks and balances on the new technology.
The wrong way is to try to avoid progress. Because #1, that’s not going to sell, and #2 self driving cars promise huge economic benefits. There are huge sectors of the economy that are completely non-productive related to auto accidents, injuries and traffic law enforcement. Self driving vehicles will greatly diminish these sectors allowing resources to be put into something more productive.
Just think about all the traffic tickets and traffic courts and insurance premium boosts, and time wasted. That goes away. Along with most auto body shops, injury lawyers, etc.
“The way to deal with that is to pass laws that require vehicles to not be able to be shut down remotely and not provide tracking information with external communications.”
Sorry, but when government agencies already behave as if the laws don’t apply to them, I don’t think that’s much of a solution.
“Just think about all the traffic tickets and traffic courts and insurance premium boosts, and time wasted. That goes away.”
Perhaps, but probably at the cost of our freedoms going away too. I don’t think it is too far fetched to believe that if the technology exists and is allowed on the road, soon only the rich would be able to afford auto insurance that would allow them to drive their own vehicles, or even to own vehicles that were able to be driven by humans. Freedoms can be stripped away as much by economics as they can by government tyranny.
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