Whatimpactwillselfdrivingcarshaveonsocietyandtheeconomy?

One of the exemplary evolution in human cycle over and above

Darwins hypothesis of apes to homo sapiens must be the technological
evolution that the same evolutionary species have brought about. From the
stone age to the modern era, human kind has always sought that additional
dimension which betters and eases his / her stay on earth. With the
invention of wheels to the invention of a wagon over those wheels, it has
unarguably been upgradation of society. But it is also important to realize
that eating too many candies daily can give you pleasure with diabetes.
Before contemplating on impacts that self-driving cars would make on
society and the economy, it is important to understand the birth of this
innovation and advances that the technology has made over the years. With
experiments started in 1920s and major developments taking place in the
80s, the application has not picked up in a true sense as after almost a
century, manufacturers are still slogging to get this innovation on road. This
on a realistic sense has not been failure on technological front but the way
the mass has hindered acceptance to the technology fearing its ill
consequences. Hence, societys fear of acceptance of this invention must be
understood well before truly rationalizing the impact.
What sets human race apart from other animals is their preferential
adaptability towards change. Unlike frogs, who die adapting to a bucket of
cold water being heated continuously, we can realize the threats and take
pseudo steps to counter such environment. The reason for me to use the
word pseudo is to highlight the covertness towards any such reactions
where we try to reason our acts to conceal our weakness rather than
addressing the threat. Nonetheless, this is the very attribute that can be one
of the reasons for us not to have embraced the technology of self-driven cars
progressively, though, we have made advances in developing this
technology. What can be the so called threats associated with this
technology? Or, are there any realistic sustained threats chained to this
technology?
One of the precursors of self-driving cars can be claimed as cruise
control in cars where the driver defines the speed of the car which then takes
over the throttle to maintain the defined speed. Many incidents surfaced
wherein the cruise control led to severe accidents due to defects in electrical
circuits. Nevertheless, car manufacturers in developed countries have
imbibed this technology as a standard option in the cars. But how is
accident relevant to the topic being discussed? It is important as it affects
the safety of the society and hence, the society itself! Just to name a few,
companies like BMW, Mercedes, General Motors, Nissan, Toyota and Audi
have put in extensive research into the self-driving car technology and there
have been five states in USA that have legally allowed testing of these cars
on public roads. Though, no mishaps ever were reported, we shouldnt
discredit the possibility of a rotten apple in a box of apples than just the
possibility of a rotten apple while buying a single apple.
 When we start to dwell into this subject, let us understand the
attributes of society and economy that self-driving cars may affect. This
technology can affect the safety of the society, skillset of the society,
technological dependence on technology and evolution of the society. When
we talk about safety, I, as a driver, am no longer responsible for my life. Any
mishap will catch me napping putting lives in danger. Skills of an individual
also gets severely affected as the driver may no longer be competent to
drive a car when this technology is unavailable. This can be exemplified by
the fact that a driver who has always driven an auto-transmission car cannot
adapt to manual-transmission car easily. Above example also projects
complete dependence on technology, reducing our inherent abilities to
handle complex things. However, it can also be argued that the society
should evolve to prove our credibility and adaptability towards any such
technological advancements. One of the reasons that human race is at the
top of any evolutionary chain is because of mankinds ability to make
something better. Hence, it is also important that the society doesnt
stagnate.
Two building blocks make up economy; wealth and people. Hence,
impact of self-driving cars can very well be understood by contemplating on
effects that this technology can have on these two building blocks. When we
say wealth, the new technology is going to gain a significant market share,
boosting wealth of automobile industry and creating possibly more job
opportunities in terms of involved skillset in manufacturing of these cars.
This may lead to altogether a new market wherein some players can make
significant financial gains. However, it may end up severely affecting the
transportation industry as companies like Uber and Lyft may graciously
accept this technology thus making drivers redundant and hence significant
layoffs.
There can be various arguments on whether evolving towards this
technology can lead to a positive or a negative impact. The best way to
validate these arguments can be to revisit the other technological evolutions
that have taken place in our society and how they have impacted life.
Invention of airplanes can be one of such technological shifts that mankind
took which may have been downed initially but turned out to be one of the
greatest achievements of our society. So, can we say that the jobs lost by
many as part of this invention can justify such an advancement? The answer
to such a question can be a yes as well as a no! It is all on which side of the
tide you are to draw conclusions. But looking at the history of our society,
any change is difficult to accept and once we accept or are forced to accept,
we adapt to it and end up being heavily reliant on it. That leaves me with
one not so important but interesting question. Am I supposed to renew my
drivers permit or not?

Prajwal (PJ) Adiga

adigap@oregonstate.edu
(541) 908-8583