Are driverless dreams going up in flames?

Read original article

In the 19th century, Luddites smashed up automatic looms to protest the new technology. Last weekend, people at a San Francisco Lunar New Year celebration seemed to have the same idea—but with more firepower. A mob incinerated an autonomous vehicle (AV) operated by Alphabet subsidiary Waymo after it rolled into a crowded intersection.

After one person jumped on the hood and smashed the windshield of the driverless—and passengerless—Jaguar I-PACE crossover, others began breaking windows and spray-painting the body. The car was eventually set ablaze with fireworks.

Though the mob’s motivation is unknown, the attack felt like a comeuppance: Over the past few years, SF has been a major testing hub for AVs, along with Phoenix and Austin. The hundreds of driverless taxis zipping around the city’s hills annoy residents almost as much as out-of-towners who call it San Fran. AVs have been filmed causing traffic jams and blocking emergency vehicles on numerous occasions. One has even been at the center of a very serious accident.

The roadblocks have cast doubt on the near-term prospect of a future where getting chauffeured around by AI is mainstream. So, buckle in while we explore the state of the AV industry and what it might take to stop it from inspiring rage.