Anticipation and Joy: Abusing Autonomous Cars For Fun

This is the continuation of my Particle Debris column from Friday. Internet technical issues prevented me from writing what is typically page 2 last week.

One of the practices most drivers engage in is defensive driving. That means taking defensive measures against aggressive drivers to protect both yourself and the other driver. The ultimate in defensive driving will probably be the autonomous cars because, sans hubris and emotion, they’ll do everything possible to avoid injury to the occupants. However, the other day I saw this: “Aggressive drivers want to take advantage of driverless cars.”

Aggressive drivers are excited for the outbreak of autonomous cars on public roads, seeing it as a way to bully computers that err on the side of caution, according to new research.

The London School of Economics and Goodyear conducted one of the largest surveys to gauge attitudes towards autonomous cars, with 12,000 drivers in 11 countries polled.

One of the key findings was aggressive drivers expect autonomous cars to try and accommodate all types of drivers. In a situation where the self-driving system is unsure of the outcome, drivers expect Google, Uber, and Tesla to build systems that avoid accidents at all costs.

‘I’ll be overtaking all the time because they’ll be sticking to the rules,’ said one driver in the survey. ‘They are going to stop. So you’re going to mug them right off. They’re going to stop and you’re just going to nip round.’ said another.

What if one of these autonomous cars, in a defensive move, decides that an aggressive motorist must be sacrificed to protect its own passengers. (I almost had to make that decision once.) The mind boggles. This is possible because car companies, including possibly Apple, are programming their AIs as I write this. “Self-Driving Mercedes-Benzes Will Prioritize Occupant Safety over Pedestrians.”

One way to deal with this might be for the autonomous cars to utilize its impressive array of optical, radar and sonar sensors to record the events leading up to a human-driver-caused accident. In any case, the mix of autonomous and human drivers, especially aggressive ones, is going to be a technical and legal challenge for years to come.

A related issue is the expected, long-term lower rate of accidents amongst autonomous cars. And yet, whenever an autonomous car has an accident today, the media is all over it. This annoys Tesla CEO Elon Musk who claims that reporters are “killing people.” Really? News is news. Reporters report news and facts. Judge for yourself. “Elon Musk accuses press of ‘killing people’ for criticism of self-driving cars.”

Moving on….

We tend to think about U.S. jobs leaving the country and workers in foreign countries being more cost competitive than U.S. workers. But a lot of that equation can depend on the technical training of U.S. workers in partnership with robots and AI assistants. This next article is a bit on the PR side from General Electric, but it does bring up some interesting points. “The U.S. Is Beating China On The Factory Floor. This Is Why.” It’s something to think about in the context of Apple bringing certains jobs back to the U.S.

It’s better to buy your Apple power accessories from Apple directly, according to this report from Business Insider. : “There’s a 90% chance the Apple power accessories you bought on Amazon are fake.” Fake meaning they can “can cause property damage and even bodily harm.” Apple is suing Amazon supplier Mobile Star.

Apple may have decided to have a greater presence at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona in 2017. It’s not certain yet, but FierceWireless has the story. “Apple listed as an exhibitor at MWC 2017.” Why is this important? First, the article reiterates Apple’s customary practice.

Apple has long eschewed major industry shows such as MWC and the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, opting instead to announce news and products on its own timeline and at its own events. Last month, for instance, Apple hosted a high-profile presentation in San Francisco to introduce the iPhone 7 at the same time CTIA Super Mobility 2016 was occurring in Las Vegas.

However, there are appropriate times for Apple to let its hair down and mix it up with the crowd. Apple can take the heat of competition, be friendly and humble, and be appreciated for what it does.

The best article I’ve seen on what to expect form Apple on October 27th is this: “What to expect at Apple’s Mac event: All-new MacBook Pros, refreshed Airs & iMacs, more.” Given that Apple’s Mac lineup is greatly aging across the board, what Apple omits during that event will be just as crucial as what it rolls out.

In addition, what Apple does announce will be scrutinized in the light of aggressive moves by the competition. The day before, October 26, Microsoft has its own event planned. Ed Baig reports, “One rumor has Microsoft unveiling an all-in-one Surface desktop PC that might compete against with Apple’s iMac.”

Finally, lots of Microsoft customers love their Surface Pros. But not New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. He was seen throwing one hard to the turf in disgust, and its turned into quite a story. If you hadn’t heard about this, especially a Microsoft marketing executive taking a shot at his own customer, see: “Microsoft blocks Belichick’s anti-Surface blitz.” It’s the first big mistake I’ve seen Microsoft make under CEO Nadella.

Fifteen yard penalty and loss of down.

Share this post