3 ms·
I recall reading many comments on HN confidently predicting that the moment a self-driving car caused an accident that killed someone, that would be the end of
by chilmers 2y ago
I recall reading many comments on HN confidently predicting that the moment a self-driving car caused an accident that killed someone, that would be the end of self-driving cars. But while they have caused accidents, and there has been resulting lawsuits and investigations by regulators, it hasn't put an end to them. And with the incoming US administration, I'm expecting far less legal and regulatory barriers to greater use of robots and automation.
- dtnewman 2y agoTo be fair, many many people die in car accidents every day. Yes, self driving car crashes are still newsworthy but you are up against a baseline that’s pretty bad. On the other hand, virtually no one dies from laundry, that I’m aware of. So the reaction to a single accident might be quite different.
- HappyPanacea 2y agoI found one instance from quick search: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/483581/child-s-death-in-washing-machine-ruled-an-accident https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/483581/child-s-death-in-... and there is also many stories of dead cats online.
- tacocataco 2y agoI was so paranoid when I lived with cats. I'd double check the washer and drier.
- isoprophlex 2y agoI do remember that time where people were being manipulated into eating Tide Pods... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumption_of_Tide_Pods https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumption_of_Tide_Pods
- PostOnce 2y agoDying in a car accident is normal, but having your (robot) maid kill your children or burn your house down is not. I think that will weigh on people's opinions of domestic general purpose robots when compared to robotic cars.
- chilmers 2y agoDying in a domestic accident like a house fire is as "normal" as dying in a car accident. Robots are a novel element in both, so I don't see why one would be more readily accepted than the other.
- TuringTourist 2y agoThe domestic accident is in the home, a far less acceptable place to have a threat. Furthermore, the threat/cause of the accident is presumably being visualized as a human shaped live-in android a la Bicentennial Man. A human shaped threat can feel a lot more viscerally unacceptable, at least in my experience.
- mikeyouse 2y agoHouse fire deaths are at least an order of magnitude less common than traffic deaths and houses are the most valuable asset that many people will ever own. They’re certainly similar but I think different enough that people would have very different reactions to robot-caused destruction.