I, For One, Welcome Our New Self-Driving Overlords

[Weatherman2020]

As someone who works in IT, let me say in no uncertain terms that I will NEVER own a "self driving" car. It is absolutely impossible to program a vehicle that could account for every potential variable that could happen on a public roadway. Just imagine the amount of coding that would have to go into one simple problem: Differentiating between a rock and a crumpled brown paper bag. Now multiply that tens of millions of times.

As human beings we have, at a minimum, 16 years of "real world experience" before getting behind the wheel. We know that a chair sitting the middle of the highway will probably damage our car if we hit it, and we'll brake or swerve to avoid it. We also know that in the same situation, if you're being tailgated by a semi or the opposing lane is full of traffic, it stands to reason to hit the chair rather than risk a potentially fatal accident.

Computers do not "experience". They do not rationalize. They do not reason. They do what they are programmed to do and nothing more.

Self driving cars are just one unmarked train crossing from extinction.