Hmm, that could be a potentially interesting model in and of itself. Rather than presuming near-term viable full autonomy, use the equivalent of drone pilots in

Hmm, that could be a potentially interesting model in and of itself. Rather than presuming near-term viable full autonomy, use the equivalent of drone pilots in remote locations. If the tech/network were reliable enough to make that work at scale, the service would be much more efficient than Lyft/Uber: minimized cost of labor whether the rider is in New York or India, an abundance of available drivers or riders to match with at any hour of the day, dramatically reduced odds of physical violence between drivers and riders, and elimination of social pressure for drivers and riders to talk to each other. The main (debatable) downside I see is the major up front capital expenditure of rolling out and maintaining a global fleet of remote/autonomous vehicles, whereas Lyft/Uber can rely on drivers providing pre-existing vehicles and eating all the negative externalities of ride sharing. If you start with the assumption of humans as the primary drivers rather than assistants, then any amount of the work you're able to automate (both in the present and increasingly over time) is just gravy.