Guest Post by Eric Peters
I recently test drove a new car with an autopilot system. Turn on the cruise control and the car not only maintains whatever speed you set, it also steers itself through curves and keeps the car from wandering out of its lane.
You are supposed to keep your hands on the wheel, of course. But who wouldn’t be tempted to take them off?
Just to see?
Continue reading “Stevie Behind the Wheel”
Guest Post by Eric Peters
It’s a curious thing . . .
The same government which says it’s so very “concerned” about our saaaaaaaaaaaaaafety that it won’t allow us to ride a motorcycle without a helmet – and will threaten us with violence if we don’t wear a seat belt – won’t allow us to disable known-to-be dangerous air bags and is very loosey goosey about self-driving/automated cars.
Which have demonstrated how unsafe they are.
Guest Post by Eric Peters
Whenever Congress does something unanimously (or nearly so) you can rest assured it’s in their interests, not ours.
The USA Patriot Act comes to mind.
Another is the Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution Act – aka the SELF DRIVE Act – which was rubber stamped through Congress the other day. This is the law that exempts automated cars from the safety requirements that apply to autonomous cars – that is, the cars which are independent of government control and controlled by us.
Just as the Patriot Act was written, not to “fight terrorism,” but to make it easier for government to terrorize us, by circumventing or simply ignoring the Bill of Rights.
Same operating principle behind both.
Guest Post by Eric Peters
What does it mean when people talk about self-driving cars? We really ought to be talking about programmed cars.
And about who does the programming.
The “self-driving” car doesn’t decide for itself how fast it goes or what route it takes – at least, it won’t until it becomes an autonomous thinking machine, an artificial intelligence. We are not quite there yet.
So, in the meanwhile, who decides?
And it is a who – a flesh-and-blood someone (or someones). Guess what? It’s not you. This whole “self driving” car thing is about taking you out of the driver’s seat. And putting someone else in control of “your” car.
Hat tip Boston Bob
Guest Post by Eric Peters
Why the hard-sell for self-driving cars?
Yesterday, Ford and Volvo announced they are forming a “coaliton” – along with Google – to push not only for the development of self-driving cars, but for federal “action” (their term) to force-feed them to us.
Why?
The reasons are obvious: There’s money – and control – in it.
To understand what’s going on, to grok the tub-thumping for these things, it is first of all necessary to deconstruct the terminology. The cars are not “self-driving.” This implies independence.
And “self-driving” cars are all about dependence.
Continue reading “Why The Hard-Sell For the “Self-Driving” Car?”