Courtesy of Mish.
This morning reader "PSB" sent me a link to United Airlines Grounds All Flights in the US Over Computer Issues.
PSB asked "And how will this be prevented?"
He commented "Insurance industries will not be able to stop the easy fear campaign old ways will scare the masses away from the future. A 15 year old DREAMS of a driver's license and independence. You know that sense of freedom to turn left when one is supposed to turn right is second to the inevitable auto taxi culture?"
His question seemed reasonable for about 10 seconds. The answer should be easy to spot: Unlike airlines, there is no central computer controlling the flight or whereabouts of all cars.
Simply put, there is no potential centralized computer error to prevent.
Will there be problems? Of course there will be. There were also problems going from horses to cars. The convenience of cars guaranteed whatever problems arose would be solved. And they were.
Yes, there will be software updates and bugs with autonomous cars. But does that radically differ from mechanical recalls? Not really.
PSB is concerned about problems that cannot possibly happen or will be resolved quickly as they arise.
Fearmongering?
Nor will there be any lasting fearmongering campaigns. The irony here is that "PSB" has the setup backwards. Insurance rates will plunge because there will be fewer accidents. I expect many of them to go out of business.
Finally, "PSB" has not grasped the changing dreams of millennials who view transportation only as a means of getting from point A to point B, nor the changing needs of aging boomers who have difficulty with night vision.
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Picture via Pixabay.
