You won’t notice the first time you get in a self-driving car

When I get in discussions with people about the future of self-driving cars, people often raise concerns and say something like “ I’m not sure I’ll be comfortable the first time I get into a self-driving car.” I think they’re wrong, but for different reasons than they’re likely thinking.

I suspect when someone “won’t be comfortable”, they’re picturing a self-driving car with no steering wheel coming to pick up them up next year and how strange that would be, and they’re right — it’d be really strange! The thing is, it won’t happen that way.

Really, it’ll be a very gradual change, kinda like this:

1. Your car can stay at a set speed automatically: this is just cruise control, which we’ve had for years.
2. Your car can stay at a set speed, but slow down when traffic is in front of it: this is adaptive cruise control, which many cars have.
3. Your car can stay in its own lane: some cars do this now.
4. Your car can navigate down the highway without your help: some cars can do this now, but you still need to be in control.
5. Your car can navigate down the highway without your help at all: not too far away.
6. Your car can navigate almost everywhere, and requests human intervention…