Both Nasty and Dumb as a Rock
2 hours ago
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Driverless cars and things not mentioned
Google is doing a test run of their driverless car technology. They are using cute little electric cars with a top speed of 25 mph. Very nonthreatening. Other companies have driverless car projects of their own.
For years we've had cars that you didn't have to drive yourself. They are called taxis. A Google driverless car will basically be a taxi without a taxi driver. Once they have the technology perfected don't expect it to stop there. The technology that can drive a cute little car can drive a massive tractor trailer truck. Just about any job that has “driver” in the title or description can be eliminated. Those are some of the last half way decent paying blue collar jobs.
But why stop there? Driverless fire truck. Driverless ambulance. Driverless tank. Driverless SWAT vehicle. Rise of the machines. It's a hugely disruptive technology.
At some point governments are going to have to figure out what to do about all the workers displaced by technology. Massive numbers of hungry unemployed people are dangerous. If nothing is done, expect to see the first driverless car bomb.
-Sixbears
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The Luddites were right!
ReplyDeleteThey were. They knew they would lose work and would become poor.
DeleteI think we've already seen driverless car bombs.
ReplyDeleteProgressive Luddites for ever Gorges...
Well, cell phones have turned a lot of car "driverless."
DeleteHang up and drive please.
Technology has many downsides for the one or two designed upsides. Inevitably if used wrong it makes people lazy or criminals or just dumbs them down. Look at the millions upon millions of high tech cars being recalled for life threatening technology failures, now they want driverless cars? For me it's a no thanks. Makes me think 1955 was a good year!
ReplyDeleteIf the gov gets its way and passes the $10 plus an hour minimum wage I believe the first people to go hi-tech automation will be the fast food industry. You will walk in, swipe your debit or credit card (no cash) and then push buttons for what you want. Want a quarter-pounder? Push the button and it drops out at the bottom like a candy machine. Forget having it your way.
And now who will lose their businesses and jobs? All the mom and pop stores and restaurants and their workers who can't afford this new technology.
It's already technology ugly out there and we simply do not have the leadership to use technology wisely. Just my $.02
If no one is working, who's going to buy all the nifty products?
DeleteOnly the 40% -50% who have high tech jobs. The other 50%-60% will be living at home on food stamps.
DeleteThe end is near!
One step forward and two steps back! I wonder if we still have to pay the insurance on driverless cars?
ReplyDeleteThe insurance industry will be one of the factors pushing driverless cars as the claim is there will be a lot less accidents.
DeleteSounds like the Johnny Cab in the first Total Recall Movie. Hmmm, They like to crash and burn. I'll pass on the driverless car, Bring on venusville and the three breasted women.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten about Johnny Cab -dang he was annoying.
DeleteAs for the rest . . . sure, why not? That's a different sort of post for another day, and probably another blog. :)
before you were born, six bears, there was a world's fair where driverless cars on perfect always-ice-free roads
ReplyDeletewere a feature.
they used to show us films in school once in a while and that was one of them.
also television, black and white, showed a technology where every house had a special closet to hang clothes needing dry cleaning. you came back later and the clothes were clean and ready.
as far as driverless tech is concerned i guess it is an engineer's dream which has been on the table for a long time.
p.s. they also showed gov't. films lauding nuclear energy, 'the gentle giant'!
shriek!!!
deb h.