Self-driving cars are closer than we thought. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, some Tesla cars will be 90% autonomous by next year! Those are cars on the road, driven by consumers. Not just theoretical, experimental cars.
For decades, self-driving cars were but a pipe-dream, professed by futurists as the answer to all of life’s problems. In modern times, Google and other companies have proven the idea feasible, and built working models. There’s no doubt that it can be done. The question is what legal pushback Musk might face, when trying to deliver his semi-autonomus car, and how he will fight it.
Should We Believe Musk?
Lots of people set ambitious goals, and never hit them. Elon Musk is not one of those people. Musk said he was going to create an electric car that was better than a gas-powered car, and sold well, for a reasonable price. Unlike the dozens who had failed at creating an electric car, Musk succeeded. Musk said he was going to cut the cost of space-flight dramatically, and create reusable rockets, that land where they took off from, and he did. If Elon Musk says a year, I’ll believe a year.
PS. No disrespect to Elon Musk. I probably should have gotten a better screengrab for the thumbnail than the one I used. I just wanted to spread the news quickly.
Other Things Musk Has Said
An interview with Elon Musk from 2000, before most of his success
10 Hours Worth of Amazing Modern Musk interviews (We recommend binge-watching them)