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"The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

3K views 26 replies 20 participants last post by  ultimate_ed 
#1 ·
AUTO EXPRESS

We need a more realistic approach to driverless cars, says columnist Mike Rutherford

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has its heart in the right place. But the “voice of the motor industry” needs a more balanced and realistic approach to driverless cars.

It’s so ecstatic about the prospect of them that I’m viewing its figures with extreme caution, if not deep suspicion. Furthermore, some of its opinions relating to Britain’s role in the global driverless vehicle industry seem very ambitious.

First, the numbers. The SMMT’s latest published stats say 731,000 people are employed across the UK automotive business. But thanks to the possible arrival of driverless/autonomous models, that figure will rocket by almost 50 per cent to over one million by 2030. I’m deeply sceptical. Nobody knows how many, if any, consumers actually want driverless modes of transport.

Another prediction by SMMT and its researcher KPMG forecasts that 15 years from now “these new vehicles will give a £51billion annual boost to the UK economy”. Such a colossal “boost” for our traditional motor industry, which currently turns over under £60billion a year, is, again, extremely optimistic. Guesswork?

Even less convincing is the claim “the UK has a unique opportunity to lead the way in developing the connected and driverless cars of tomorrow”. Really? Britain is one of several countries trying to grab a slice of the driverless action. That makes it a mere contender, and not nearly as strong as the likes of Japan, Germany and America which are way ahead of us in terms of designing, building and testing cars that drive themselves.

Toyota and Honda put me in their autonomous cars a quarter of a century ago. The VW Group did the same a decade or so back. Britain is a follower, not a leader, and certainly not a “unique” player in the driverless car game.

Another painful truth is that the driverless industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates. Britain’s estimated to have around a million full or part-time employees who drive cars, taxis, limos, buses, coaches, vans, trucks and other vehicles for a living. Inevitably, some, most or all of them will be made redundant. Maybe the SMMT can put figures on firstly, the social cost of throwing these drivers on the scrapheap and secondly, the price of paying them long-term unemployment benefits.

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#2 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

I can't wait till something goes wrong. I think some vehicles need a driver behind them, like ambulances and fire engines. Others obviously wont.

It sucks but this is how progress is done. Someone will be maded redundant. 'Computer' is not a job title anymore.
 
#3 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

Nice experiments. Who is going to underwrite the manufacturer or purchaser of the first "driverless" vehicles? Lawsuits will kill this in its infancy.
 
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#4 · (Edited)
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

There is always the nasty side as well terrorists organisations will able to pack a dummy full of explosives just enter the zip code of somebody that does not agree with his/her their own warped perverted views of the world, then bang!! as they are already on the first plane out the country. Autonomous weapon's of mass destruction?

What will become of those ole "Glam Cab" Cortina girls Rupert, your gonna miss them? Poor ole Rupert might be spending his twilight years flipping burgers or stacking shelves at Walmart Asda with the Grandchildren on $5 bucks a hour if this jobs apocalypse happens.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

There is always the nasty side as well terrorists organisations will able to pack a dummy full of explosives just enter the zip code of somebody that does not agree with his/her their own warped perverted views of the world, then bang!! as they are already on the first plane out the country. Autonomous weapon's of mass destruction?
Worse perhaps... "The virus has infected Skynet!"...
John Connor: "Skynet is the virus!"

From: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
 
#6 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

So, is the job of industry and progress to employ people? Are we to stop progressing because someone in the labor pool can't keep up? Someone who doesn't have an imagination on how they themselves can adapt to progress? Are we suppose to remain stagnant with no innovation, no advancement?

I say, Hooey!
 
#7 · (Edited)
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

So, is the job of industry and progress to employ people? Are we to stop progressing because someone in the labor pool can't keep up? Someone who doesn't have an imagination on how they themselves can adapt to progress? Are we suppose to remain stagnant with no innovation, no advancement?

I say, Hooey!
Not against progress, but who will pick up the costs of the huge unemployment/welfare bill for millions that can't create better paid jobs for themselves, the burden will fall on the taxpayer, progress to me is getting the government $20 trillion racked up on the governments credit card paid debts paid down to zero.

If all that this mean is millions of slightly higher paid workers are moved into low paid Dunkin Donuts & Walmart shelf filling jobs is this what you call progress no future, tumble weed & few autonomous car blowing through small town, it will end up pushing more people into lower rent Aveo Fiesta no profit on the roof cars if they are all pushed into low paid work or mass unemployment who picks up the huge unemployment & welfare bills for those that can't provide for themselves you & me buddy.

A miserable existence, that's what you call progress?
 
#11 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

I hope this never happens, it is a dumb idea. I love to control and feel the car or truck and me doing driving .
I understand, and I also enjoy driving. But the vast majority of drivers shouldn't be doing so. Just look at the massive crash stats. Death and inury galore. Blood on the highway. So we really can't say it (autonomous car) is a dumb idea.

It won't be fast, but it will happen. There will be problems at first, certainly, even deaths caused by autonomous cars. But you still won't be able to say that people in control is safer.

After a while, they'll get better, and more people will "jump on board". In the end, we won't get to choose. Society will eventually decide that you'd have to be a suicidal psychopath to drive yourself. And eventually, it just won't be possible, at least not in public, on public roadways.
 
#13 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

Has this same argument not come up before? Do unemployed telegraph operators, horse-drawn carriage makers, and chimney sweeps hang out at a bar all day feeling sorry for themselves? This might be a hurdle, but it's not the first, last, or most significant we've ever overcome.
 
#14 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

I don't mind the idea of driverless cars per se. Taxis is one I would consider. You wouldn't be able to blame a driver for taking you a roundabout route, nor could rogue drivers prey on women. I think there are some valid reasons to develop them but I don't think they should replace the current vehicle.
I am also wondering how the driverless car will respond to situations like ambulances or other emergency vehicles doing their job crossing their path. Also how do they cope with sudden changes in weather condition - flash floods for instance or road subsidence. It will take a huge amount of electronic control devices.
 
#17 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

Another painful truth is that the driverless industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates.
I think it is quite too optimistic to think autonomous driving technology will find its way in ALL cars. It will be a gimmick used in limited applications only and will be applied very gradually. I mean, this vision of the future of autonomous traffic has been dreamed of since the fifties/sixties and more than half a century later were're still far from that.
 
#18 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

I think it is quite too optimistic to think autonomous driving technology will find its way in ALL cars. It will be a gimmick used in limited applications only and will be applied very gradually. I mean, this vision of the future of autonomous traffic has been dreamed of since the fifties/sixties and more than half a century later were're still far from that.
I think it will be used primarily in place of normal cruise control and for self-parking.
 
#19 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

So what happens the moment a single made in China sensor fails or gets covered in snow and ice and can't properly read the road? This is seriously technology going way out of control for the wrong purposes. We can't even find a cure or a way to stop Dementia or Alzheimer's disease, are having a hard time curing certain strains of flu, have yet to find a real cure for AIDS for Caucasians and cancer is wildly out of control and killing people all around me yet we have stupid crap like this. And it's killing jobs as if we need any more of that. Yes we are getting so third world consumer it's scary!
 
#21 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

...We can't even find a cure or a way to stop Dementia or Alzheimer's disease, are having a hard time curing certain strains of flu, have yet to find a real cure for AIDS for Caucasians and cancer is wildly out of control and killing people all around me yet we have stupid crap like this. And it's killing jobs as if we need any more of that. Yes we are getting so third world consumer it's scary!
They have a cure for AIDS in other races? When did I miss that?
 
#23 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

as always some people LOOSE and OTHERS GAIN
LOSE its spelled LOSE. You can be a LOSER not a LOOSER.
 
#27 ·
Re: "The driverless car industry is destined to kill more jobs than it creates"

Wow, the Luddite level in this thread is strong.

Bold prediction - 20 years from now, use of the steering wheel will be about as common as use of the clutch pedal is today.

If it isn't, I'll be sorely disappointed.
 
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