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Google is a machine learning company. Knowing about how people use their phone (Android), Computer (ChromeOS), etc a self driving car gives them more and more

Google is a machine learning company. Knowing about how people use their phone (Android), Computer (ChromeOS), etc a self driving car gives them more and more data to refine and expand their algorithms. At the same token it is because they have these vast troves of data and some of the best machine learning scientists in the word, they are suited to do this type of research. Another thing to think about is that if we are not distracted by the commute we will spend more time using Google services.

bane 11y ago
(note: this is supposed to be pseudo-tongue-in-cheek-back-of-the-envelope math) Let's say they invest...I dunno $300m in developing this technology (completely made-up number) - The average commute time in the U.S. is ~30 minutes...or 1 hour per day. I don't know what it is globally, but for fun we'll assume it's the same for everybody on the planet. - Google made $66billion in 2014 (or about $9.43 per person on the planet, assuming 7billion people) - Assume most people are awake 16 hours during a day. - However, if people are stuck driving for 1 hour out of those 16, that's only 15 hours they can build revenue for google. - This means google is generating about $.63 per available waking hour per person. - 1 more available hour is $.63*7billion = a possible "new" market of $4.4billion/year assuming every person This would pay back the R&D costs handsomely + tons of profit in the first year if google can get everybody to switch all at once. Even if it takes a decade or two to switch humanity to self-driving cars, it would still pay for itself quickly.