This chapter explores a meeting held by the California Public Utilities Commission where the approval and expansion of self-driving car companies Cruz and Waymo are discussed. Supporters highlight the safety and accessibility benefits of autonomous vehicles, while opponents raise concerns about safety, job displacement, and interference with emergency services. The chapter also delves into the accidents involving Cruz vehicles shortly after the vote, sparking a discussion about the flaws and limitations of driverless cars and the difficulty of trusting a technology that is so different from us.
After a closely watched vote, driverless cars, once a Silicon Valley fantasy, have become a 24-hour-a-day reality in San Francisco. Are autonomous vehicles an interesting and safe transportation alternative? Or are they a nuisance and a traffic-blocking disaster waiting to happen?
Cade Metz, who covers technology for The Times, describes the unique challenges of coexisting with cars that drive themselves.
Guest: Cade Metz, a technology correspondent for The New York Times.
Background reading:
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