We all know Google is one of the technology giants that is using big data and AI to control what we have access to. For this reason, they end up on the list of evil forces out there threatening the freedom of the human race. That said, they inadvertently are helping mankind in their quest for profit.
Google owns Waymo, an autonomous self driving car unit. According to reports, Google is confident they will have self driving services on the streets in Arizona by the end of 2017. While this might be a bit ambitious, it is clear that this technology is not too far away.
One of the barriers to the autonomous car expansion is not technological. Those type of hurdles can and will be overcome. What is standing in the way is whether the public accepts this or not. People are still fearful of a car without a driver in it. Of course, few think about the fact that most commercial airlines spend a portion, if not most, of the flight on autopilot i.e. flown by a computer.
Autonomous cars should be safer and more dependable than those driven by humans. Uber or Lyft style fleets will be the norm with car sales in most major cities will be fleet rather than individual. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of skepticism out there on the part of the general public.
Google is launching a public education campaign to help people get more familiar with this technology. People fear what they do not know. By getting more people exposed to what autonomous cars are really like, Google is betting that their resistance will subside. I believe they are correct.
Now I do not know if these cars will talk to use but, for those old enough to remember, Knight Rider is on the way.
For full details, read the article on the Verge..
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/9/16447628/waymo-self-driving-car-ad-campaign-arizona
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