Everyone with a clue in the industry realizes the problem. Semi-automatic driving, with the expectation that the driver is alert and ready to take over, is an accident waiting to happen. Mercedes has a device to check if hands are on the wheel. (See video below for someone defeating that.) Cadillac has a seat vibrator. Most of those semi-auto systems are unable to detect junk such as a mattress on the highway, deer, pedestrians, and work crews. They assume a benign freeway environment. Most won't engage in a non-freeway environment.
What bothers me about "Cruise" is that they promote this assist technology as a full self-driving system, like what Google and CMU/Cadillac have in test. See the Cruise ad.[2]
The NTSB defines four levels of self-driving:
0 - manual
1 - Function-specific Automation
(example: anti-collision radar braking.)
2 - Combined Function Automation
(adaptive cruise control plus lane centering.)
(current Mercedes, etc. level)
3 - Limited Self-Driving Automation
(still needs a driver available to take over.)
(current Google level)
4 - Full self-driving automation
(driver does nothing, may not even be present)
(Google is trying to get there for 25MPH cars.)
Cruise is at level 2, but advertises as if at level 3.Driving a level 2 car and thinking it's a level 3 car is deadly.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv9JYqhFV-M [2] http://www.getcruise.com/