Agree for the most part, but question the lack of network effects here:
Is there not a potential interoperability / safety gain if all the cars on the road know how all the others will react? In a game of chicken they know they should each veer right to avoid an accident, so to speak.
I guess the answer depends to some degree on just how much inter-car communication is part of the future and whether those will be fully standardized. And even if standardized whether additional proprietary communications will be permitted between the same species.
Finally, isn't there a race on to collect as much detailed driving data as possible to train these systems? So the more a system is deployed the faster it will improve and therefore be more attractive?
I guess my question is really whether meeting minimum safety standards is going to be the sole question that purchasers of self-driving tech ask before buying. It's not too hard to fathom different techs being a "smoother" drive or maybe even able to handle more side roads (and thus more shortcut options) that other techs aren't ready for yet.
That's a good point - I didn't think about network effects of having autonomous cars communicate with each other. No doubt it will boost safety, but I strongly suspect that such technology will be heavily regulated and standardised. If Boeing and Airbus each developed a mid-air collision avoidance system, wouldn't regulators force them to interoperate?
Of course there will still be an autonomous car company with a superior safety record and perhaps better navigation routing, but these are not strong advantages. Consider that budget airlines can compete effectively with established airlines even when they have a worse safety record and fewer direct routes.
Is there not a potential interoperability / safety gain if all the cars on the road know how all the others will react? In a game of chicken they know they should each veer right to avoid an accident, so to speak.
I guess the answer depends to some degree on just how much inter-car communication is part of the future and whether those will be fully standardized. And even if standardized whether additional proprietary communications will be permitted between the same species.
Finally, isn't there a race on to collect as much detailed driving data as possible to train these systems? So the more a system is deployed the faster it will improve and therefore be more attractive?
I guess my question is really whether meeting minimum safety standards is going to be the sole question that purchasers of self-driving tech ask before buying. It's not too hard to fathom different techs being a "smoother" drive or maybe even able to handle more side roads (and thus more shortcut options) that other techs aren't ready for yet.