When Will Self-Driving Cars Replace Uber Drivers?
Technology is always improving and shaping the world that we live in, but perhaps no other new invention in recent times will be as remarkable as self-driving cars. Uber has stated that they intend to have self-driving cars on the road by 20 19, and they’re spending a fortune on research and development to make this happen.
So how does this affect current Uber drivers and when can they really expect to be replaced?
photo/ Michael Jarmoluk via pixabay.com
Uber’s Grand Plan
Uber’s next big step is to have an entire fleet of self-driving cars out on the road. Of course this makes sense because they would get rid of their biggest expense: the drivers themselves.
However, they have gone back and said that what they mean is a self-driving car with an actual human driver still behind the wheel. But you can only guess that their real motive is to get rid of all of their drivers so that they can keep 100% of the profits.
Driver Assistance Is Already Here
It’s easy to see how self-driving cars will come to fruition, as many of today’s cars already have some of the features in place. We’ve had cars with cruise control for several decades now, and in recent years we’ve seen cars that can stop themselves as well as keep you within the lines on the expressway. Put all of these features together and you essentially have a self-driving car.
The Race Is On!
The profit potential of self-driving cars is forcing most big companies to get involved in some manner. You’d think it would be the big car manufacturers that would be spearheading this technology, but instead it is coming from places like Google, Apple, and Uber.
Just recently, Google invested a billion dollars in Lyft so Lyft can compete directly with Uber. Perhaps this came as a result of Uber stealing trade secrets from Google’s self-driving car company Waymo.
Cars Without Steering Wheels or Brake Pedals
Most experts are predicting that fully autonomous self-driving cars, the ones that have no steering wheel or brake pedal, is still very far off in the future. This means you would have no ability to control it at all. The infrastructure required for this kind of car to have success in the real world, and be used as a rideshare vehicle, is still likely several decades away.
If you are currently a young Uber driver and are thinking that this is going to be a lifelong career, probably that won’t be the case. In 20 years the driving landscape will have changed entirely and it is very unlikely that we will need other people to drive us around anymore.
The only solution as an individual Uber driver is to make as much money as you can right now while the opportunity still exists. And who knows, maybe twenty years from now artificial intelligence will make it so that none of us have to work and all of our needs will be provided for us.
Author: Carmelo Hannity
