Google, BMW and Other Driverless Cars and Their Implications

Driverless car technology merges the latest developments in the field of automotive and the world of computing. Imagine being able to go places and not miss a view because you are not driving. Imagine being able to continue your sleep inside the car on your way to the office. Imagine not reading anything as you navigate your way around a city.

This latest development in transportation seeks to make our lives safer and more convenient. Car to car communication, GPS, driver alert systems and powerful processors all make driverless cars possible. On the green side, these cars are also being designed to be more fuel efficient.

But the driverless car technology must also answer a fundamental question before it is made available to the world: What will you do to the millions of drivers that they will displace?

In a world plagued by increasing unemployment rate, this new technology can rob people of their livelihood and eventually, their lives. Think of the millions who are earning their living either by dropping you off to your nearest destination or through delivering your latest purchase. Then think when they are gone.

New technologies are supposed to generate more jobs if they cannot make everybody’s life easier.

Google Driverless Car is Just One of Their Many Ventures

Image: NASA-Imagery / pixabay.com

When I began a research about driverless cars, it came as a surprise to me that we might be seeing this as a common thing on the streets in maybe 10 to 20 years. While we do know that cars will eventually get to this point, what struck me was that this transition in the way we drive is very near - all thanks to technology that continue to pave the way for cheaper but faster car parts and computers.