I think the net effect will be hugely positive, but like all paradigm shifts this is going to cause immense social upheaval and initially look like it only makes things worse.
Just because it doesn't have a driver doesn't mean it doesn't need to be manufactured. Car companies will do fine.
> Pizza delivery will not be an entrylevel job.
Nope. But pizza making still will be. Sebastian, are you listening?
> I think the net effect will be hugely positive
You got that right.
> but like all paradigm shifts this is going to cause immense social upheaval and initially look like it only makes things worse.
So, what? You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
The key is to forbid the government from breaking eggs. Egg breaking should be strictly a private sector activity, judged solely by consumer demand.
No they won't; every > 1 car family will have 1 car only after this, because, when at work, you just send your car back on it's own for the wife and kids. Big reduction. If your neighbor has different hours than you have, you can combine that by sending the car back when you arrived. I think it'll have a huge impact on car sales; we just don't need many anymore as, unlike now, they are not useless without a driver.
We all share a fleet of cars like a taxi service. Need a car? Pull out your smartphone app and push the "call" button that sends a nearby car to your location. You could also schedule a pickup for the exact time you get off work.
No need to send an empty car back home to your family during the day. No need to let the car sit empty in between rides.
We have the tech right now for every workplace to have open seating and non-personalized computer workstations, and while some companies do this, most people still want their own desk space and personalized computer.
Note that in Europe car ownership amongst the younger demographics is plunging. The novelty has worn off, no one can be arsed with them anymore.
Needing personal mobile storage is not needing a car if you already get a car for free.
I think that's because of the feeling you have when you drive a large machine yourself. If you are not behind the wheel anymore, will it still be the same feeling?
And yes, SOME will have this; there will exist a need for cars, I'm saying it will just be far less than it is now.
I don't think there's anything inherent in a self-driving car that causes it to have a smooth ride with minimal sensation of movement like a train or plane, it's more a property of the road.
FWIW, neither my wife or I had ever owned a car, we managed just fine with public transport and car-sharing. But once the baby came along, we pretty much had to buy a car.
If driver-less cars become the norm, the practical need for toddler car seats will cease to exist.
All of that aside from that the system will be safe enough that you can trust your toddler to order and ride in vehicles by themselves if necessary.
That said, I'm totally in favor of self-driving vehicles and wish they'd hurry up so I can get one. Containing that two-year-old is way easier when you don't have to concentrate on traffic at the same time!
And I have to wait for my car to come back if I have any immediate need to use it during the day?
> If your neighbor has different hours than you have, you can combine that by sending the car back when you arrived.
I'm not sure people are that much into car pool. And then there is issue with whose property the car is, people don't always let other people use their property even if they don't need to use it right now.
Of course you don't have to; you can pay ten times as much for a dedicated vehicle if that's a feature you need. Everyone can do their own math.
Not so fast. Check out this gourmet hamburger making robot: http://singularityhub.com/2013/01/22/robot-serves-up-340-ham...
From TFA: "We can reduce the number of cars by 90%." So, you read that and disagree with it?
I haven't done the math though.
The big effects will be on other aspects. No more drunk driving. Fractional ownership of cars.
Why not? People are still going to want the pizza delivered to their door, not to their driveway or parking lot.