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GM Buys Driverless Software Startup Cruise Automation (thestack.com)
An anonymous reader writes: General Motors has confirmed its acquisition of autonomous software company Cruise Automation. The Silicon Valley-based firm, set up by former Twitch co-founder Kyle Vogt in 2013, creates auto-pilot technologies which can transform regular cars into driverless vehicles. Cruise will now be turning its focus exclusively to designing software for GM vehicles. It will continue to operate as an independent unit from its San Francisco base within the auto giant's newly established Autonomous Vehicle Development Team. Cruise now represents the latest strategic push for the multinational into future transport technologies, following its purchase of assets from former ride-hailing company Sidecar and a $500 million partnership with Uber-rival Lyft.
Just the self driving one weaponized for DARPA.
With all the talk of how it's impossible for a computer to have an accident and how terrible humans are at driving...
how safe would you feel in an autonomous vehicle that gets shut off by harsh weather conditions (like a snowstorm) or catastrophic loss of roadway and leaves you completely unable to even have a chance to navigate to safety?
Would you feel safe on roads occupied by autonomous vehilcles with malware and trojans installed in them?
How many years after mainstream driverless cars are developed will a hack cause more than one thousand simultaneous deaths?
Will autonomous vehicles allow suicide bombers to become repeat offenders?
How easy will it be to simply reprogram the autopilot and send it on a killing spree like running through a parade at 100mph or taking out a whole major interstate highway?
With greater technology comes greater ability to use it for good or ill. I for one am not convinced that autonomous cars are actually safer when you take all possible uses into account.