To All Those That Think The Chancellor Is In Cloud Cuckoo Land.....

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42046561
I agree!

[douglas9401]

Let's imagine the software involved is of the same calibre as, plucking one out of the air, that which organises benefit payments.

I'd be fully confident of a good outcome if I was crossing the road and a ton and a half of pilotless death was heading towards me.
I think Grey Phil might be getting carried along on the relatively successful Alexa and others but he might do well to remember that the car is not being asked to call the pizza shop or select the kitchen playlist.

[youngmafbog]

Well I just nearly got mowed over on a zebra crossing by a ton and 1/2 of vauxhaul driven by some woman who was looking into the back of her car.

[ToraToraTora]

leaving aside the tech challenges for a moment, what concerns me is the legal and insurance problems. By 2021 a lot of statute needs to be sorted and the insurance companies need to determine responsibility etc, not to mention plod.

[mikey4444]

Considering he can't count up to 1.4M, its difficult to take anything he says seriously !

[douglas9401]

Some might say that a car piloted by a woman is driverless already. :-)

[youngmafbog]

well thats 1.4m more than Ms Abbott!

[youngmafbog]

Best get your tin hat Douglas!

[douglas9401]

Kevlar in place and awaiting the onslaught. The usual stuff about 'statistics show'. :-)

[mikey4444]

Haven't we got enough cars on our roads at present ?

[Old_Geezer]

2021 ? That's years away yet. No problem.
Nice to set a stretching target. Concentrates the mind.

[Old_Geezer]

The idea isn't to have more cars. But swop out dodgy humans for AI.

[mikey4444]

Driverless cars are a ludicrous idea.

[ToraToraTora]

too many mikey because motoring is too cheap.

[mushroom25]

transport is definitely artificially cheap. every day you'll see on the M6, trader's vans, loads of them - for example "XY&Z Ltd, jobbing electricians of Devizes", somewhere north of Lancaster, presumably on their way to a job hours from home. how can hiring an electrician 300 miles away make economic sense?

[Gromit]

Autonomous cars (not driverless) will be on running on British roads very soon. They already are in some US and far east cities.
The technologic and legal obstacles will quickly be resolved, and the financial gains are too big for any Government to ignore. Without a monkey behind the wheel there is potential for safer, cleaner and faster travel.

[ToraToraTora]

so when will I be able to get my jam jar to drive me around a load of battle cruisers, get plastered and have it take me home as I sleep on the back seat and any carnage it causes will not be my fault?

[Gromit]

Tora,
Never. It will be an offence to be in charge of an autonomous while intoxicated. And and driving licence holder will have to be at the wheel.

[douglas9401]

Autonomous | Definition of Autonomous by Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomous

free, independent, sovereign, autonomous mean not subject to the rule or control of another. free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions.

Take a drink then.

[vulcan42]

" It will be an offence to be in charge of an autonomous while intoxicated. And and driving licence holder will have to be at the wheel."
Just like it is today.

[douglas9401]

Semi autonomous at best then. Sold another pup.