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> ...the company is also working to apply its self-driving system to three other areas, including logistics (so trucking)... This whole 'disenfranchised underc

> ...the company is also working to apply its self-driving system to three other areas, including logistics (so trucking)... This whole 'disenfranchised underclass' thing that America is struggling with will get considerably worse when automation turns all the truck drivers and their families out onto the street.

RobertoG 8y ago
When automation arrive to that level, that could happen, but it's far from unavoidable. If automation happens is because it makes the economy more productive. If before happening the economy could sustain all the people, logic tell us that now could do it even more easily. At the end, it's a political decision.
CydeWeys 8y ago
Most people used to be farmers, too, but prohibiting industrialization was not the right call. Driving trucks is a dangerous occupation that's terrible for your health, and often takes you away from your family for long periods of time. In a few generations when it's long gone as an occupation, no one will miss it. Getting from now to then is unfortunately going to be a rough transition for some people, but stopping that transition entirely isn't the right call.
- EthanHeilman 8y ago
  > Most people used to be farmers, too, but prohibiting industrialization was not the right call. The industrial revolution caused enormous suffering for ex-farmers. Many of them lost a life of autonomy to be forced to move to cities and work in dangerous conditions for starvation wages. It caused significant social instability. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution#Standards_of_living https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution#Standard...
IshKebab 8y ago
And I think that is the place it will happen first. At least outside America where most roads are far too complicated for driverless cars. Motorways, on the other hand are relatively simple. And we have service stations that driverless lorries could drive themselves to, to be picked up by human drivers for the final leg. And there's an obvious commercial need. And there's an obvious safety need (who hasn't seen a swerving lorry?)

RobertoG 8y ago

When automation arrive to that level, that could happen, but it's far from unavoidable. If automation happens is because it makes the economy more productive. If before happening the economy could sustain all the people, logic tell us that now could do it even more easily. At the end, it's a political decision.

CydeWeys 8y ago

Most people used to be farmers, too, but prohibiting industrialization was not the right call. Driving trucks is a dangerous occupation that's terrible for your health, and often takes you away from your family for long periods of time. In a few generations when it's long gone as an occupation, no one will miss it. Getting from now to then is unfortunately going to be a rough transition for some people, but stopping that transition entirely isn't the right call.

EthanHeilman 8y ago
> Most people used to be farmers, too, but prohibiting industrialization was not the right call. The industrial revolution caused enormous suffering for ex-farmers. Many of them lost a life of autonomy to be forced to move to cities and work in dangerous conditions for starvation wages. It caused significant social instability. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution#Standards_of_living https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution#Standard...

IshKebab 8y ago

And I think that is the place it will happen first. At least outside America where most roads are far too complicated for driverless cars. Motorways, on the other hand are relatively simple. And we have service stations that driverless lorries could drive themselves to, to be picked up by human drivers for the final leg. And there's an obvious commercial need. And there's an obvious safety need (who hasn't seen a swerving lorry?)