Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
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Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#2I know this sounds terrible, so please understand I don't agree with this approach, but.
I've had the thought that third world countries will end up being the testing ground for autonomous vehicles. Peoples' safety isn't taken as seriously in developing countries, and the local authorities are easier to bribe.
The cost for actually functioning autonomous vehicles will be some mistakes. It's up to society to decide whether the ultimate value is worth those accidents. The modern world has a history of offloading certain types of hazards (such as hazardous waste, dangerous factory conditions, etc) to the third world and I see this as another use case for that pattern.
Edit: damn, guess people don't like unpleasant truths. Downvotes aren't supposed to be a disagreement button!
Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#3The AI vs human wars begin
Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#4I am constituent in this guy's district and I would much, much rather bike next to robotaxis in LA vs. human drivers.
Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#5I know this sounds terrible, so please understand I don't agree with this approach, but. I've had the thought that third world countries will end up being the testing ground for autonomous vehicles. Peoples' safety isn't taken as seriously in developing countries, and the local authorities are easier to bribe. The cost for actually functioning autonomous vehicles will be some mistakes. It's up to society to decide wh…
The road conditions are not ideal though, poor road markings, road conditions, other drivers not following the rules of the road. Hardly a place to test cars.
Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#6I know this sounds terrible, so please understand I don't agree with this approach, but. I've had the thought that third world countries will end up being the testing ground for autonomous vehicles. Peoples' safety isn't taken as seriously in developing countries, and the local authorities are easier to bribe. The cost for actually functioning autonomous vehicles will be some mistakes. It's up to society to decide wh…
The road conditions are not ideal though, poor road markings, road conditions, other drivers not following the rules of the road. Hardly a place to test cars.
Counter take is that it's the perfect environment from a learning perspective: if you succeed there, you can succeed in easier conditions.
Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#7I know this sounds terrible, so please understand I don't agree with this approach, but. I've had the thought that third world countries will end up being the testing ground for autonomous vehicles. Peoples' safety isn't taken as seriously in developing countries, and the local authorities are easier to bribe. The cost for actually functioning autonomous vehicles will be some mistakes. It's up to society to decide wh…
Companies are already testing self-driving cars in SF, Phoenix, and LA. So much for this theory.
Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#8The article infers, not unreasonably IMO, that the support for this push comes neither from citizens nor fellow lawmakers but from labor unions with whom the lawmaker (Councilmember Hug Soto-Martínez) is closely aligned.
> "This has everything to do with making sure that the streets of Los Angeles are safe ... It’s also about making sure that we protect jobs"
> "During the Q&A that followed, TechCrunch asked if any constituents had raised specific concerns about robotaxis. Soto-Martínez replied that he “would have to check,”
> "Just two LA lawmakers were present at the conference on Wednesday"
Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#9I'd have thought LA was perfect for robotaxis. It is famously a driving, not walking, city. Everything is very spread out, so you have to drive to every place and park there.
It's also famous for its traffic, something automation can handle well (just follow the car in front of you). The real problems come with the unexpected, especially human beings jumping out in front of you (unarmored or in a car).
Mind you the city could really benefit from walkable neighborhoods and public transit, but that requires more planning than most lawmakers are up for.
Re: Robotaxis 'do not belong in the city of Los Angeles,' lawmaker says
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
The road conditions are not ideal though, poor road markings, road conditions, other drivers not following the rules of the road. Hardly a place to test cars.
Counter take is that it's the perfect environment from a learning perspective: if you succeed there, you can succeed in easier conditions.
Absolutely, when they need to test on hard-mode.