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Isn't trust a massive problem? If I'm getting into a car without a driver, I have to trust that the system is smart enough to get me to my destination safely.

Isn't trust a massive problem? If I'm getting into a car without a driver, I have to trust that the system is smart enough to get me to my destination safely. The problem with Uber is that they already operate on a trust deficit. They've had a long history of ignoring local rules and had a string of high-profile exits - including the CEOs - after workplace harassment issues. That's not exactly a company I want to trust with my life. Waymo, otoh, is operated by a company known for its "braininess". Self-driving is a computationally challenging problem. I trust Google to solve it much more than Uber. There's also the fact that Waymo doesn't have to be a profit center for Google at all. They can afford to incur losses for years until they get the technology perfect. For Uber, self-driving cars HAVE to be a profit center. If the company's existence depends on it, can I trust them to not cut corners?

lsc 8y ago
For me? the kicker would be insurance. Is the company wiling to insure it? I mean, like enough to cover my lifetime expected earnings? then sure, I'll get in the car. Driving is very dangerous, and most drivers don't even carry enough insurance to pay for a couple months time off if they hit me. This, essentially, make my injuries an externality that isn't priced into the cost of transportation. For that matter, if I'm injured in an accident and it's my fault, I don't have a lot of coverage for myself; I mean, through work, I have a long-term disability package, but that's still not great compared do what I'd make were I not disabled, and disability, as I understand it, is a huge pain in the ass when it comes to you being, you know, 'partially disabled' - still able to work, but not able to make nearly what you made before. Carrying adequate insurance insures that the total cost of the injuries caused is rolled into the operating cost of the vehicle, and helps to price it rationally.
usrusr 8y ago
> Isn't trust a massive problem? If I'm getting into a car without a driver, I have to trust that the system is smart enough to get me to my destination safely. Car manufacturers have decades of experience in shifting danger from inside to outside. Passengers are not the ones we need to worry about.
- michaelt 8y ago
  Passengers are not the ones we need to worry about. Unless their Telsa swerves and accelerates into a clearly visible stationary obstacle :)

lsc 8y ago

For me? the kicker would be insurance. Is the company wiling to insure it? I mean, like enough to cover my lifetime expected earnings? then sure, I'll get in the car. Driving is very dangerous, and most drivers don't even carry enough insurance to pay for a couple months time off if they hit me. This, essentially, make my injuries an externality that isn't priced into the cost of transportation. For that matter, if I'm injured in an accident and it's my fault, I don't have a lot of coverage for myself; I mean, through work, I have a long-term disability package, but that's still not great compared do what I'd make were I not disabled, and disability, as I understand it, is a huge pain in the ass when it comes to you being, you know, 'partially disabled' - still able to work, but not able to make nearly what you made before. Carrying adequate insurance insures that the total cost of the injuries caused is rolled into the operating cost of the vehicle, and helps to price it rationally.

usrusr 8y ago

> Isn't trust a massive problem? If I'm getting into a car without a driver, I have to trust that the system is smart enough to get me to my destination safely. Car manufacturers have decades of experience in shifting danger from inside to outside. Passengers are not the ones we need to worry about.

michaelt 8y ago
Passengers are not the ones we need to worry about. Unless their Telsa swerves and accelerates into a clearly visible stationary obstacle :)