India's Push for Self-Driving Cars: A Leap Towards Autonomous Transportation

Let a thousand self-driving cars zoom

Self-driving cars tested in China and the US could disrupt millions of taxi driver jobs. While China's robotaxi firms edge closer to profitability due to fewer safety restrictions, the US lags behind. The tech has global implications, offering a significant breakthrough in emissions reduction through battery-powered autonomous vehicles.Self-driving cars being tested in China and the US could be at the forefront of job destruction through AI. In the line of fire stand millions of taxi drivers. Depending on how robotaxi trials play out, they are threatening livelihoods that are low down in the job hierarchy for ride-hailing services. China has reason to push the pedal on autonomous vehicles as it falls off the population cliff. However, a bigger disruption is likely to emerge in the US as companies like Tesla make progress from fuel-less to driver-less cars. Going beyond taxis, personal vehicles that can be summoned from remote parking lots to ferry people around are more revolutionary. Naturally, the pace of testing is being tightly regulated. In the US, the emphasis is on safety, which tends to slow things down. China sees an opportunity here, and its robotaxi firms are closer to profitability as US automobile and technology companies struggle with the higher safety bar. Either way, the tech is available, it needs to become more robust. Its development is controlled by restrictions the US has imposed on the use of Chinese data to run trials on American automobiles. It is a new arms race in personal mobility. Other nations would be tempted to follow the US in trying to slow Chinese innovation in self-driving cars. Their reasons may differ - from safety to job losses - but it would be an expensive mistake. China has taken the lead in reimagining the automobile as a technology product. The world's automobile makers, including US firms, are queuing up to gain access to Chinese data and know-how on making cars smarter. This complements China's natural endowments, giving it an edge in battery tech. Self-driving cars running on rechargeable lithium ions could be the biggest breakthrough in global emissions reduction in the foreseeable future. This is one revolution China should not have difficulty exporting to the world.

Let a thousand self-driving cars zoom - The Economic Times

Self-driving cars being tested in China and the US could be at the forefront of job destruction through AI. In the line of fire stand millions of taxi drivers. Depending on how robotaxi trials play out, they are threatening livelihoods that are low down in the job hierarchy for ride-hailing services. China has reason to push the pedal on autonomous vehicles as it falls off the population cliff. However, a bigger disruption is likely to emerge in the US as companies like Tesla make progress from fuel-less to driver-less cars. Going beyond taxis, personal vehicles that can be summoned from remote parking lots to ferry people around are more revolutionary.Naturally, the pace of testing is being tightly regulated. In the US, the emphasis is on safety, which tends to slow things down. China sees an opportunity here, and its robotaxi firms are closer to profitability as US automobile and technology companies struggle with the higher safety bar. Either way, the tech is available, it needs to become more robust. Its development is controlled by restrictions the US has imposed on the use of Chinese data to run trials on American automobiles. It is a new arms race in personal mobility. Other nations would be tempted to follow the US in trying to slow Chinese innovation in self-driving cars. Their reasons may differ - from safety to job losses - but it would be an expensive mistake. China has taken the lead in reimagining the automobile as a technology product. The world's automobile makers, including US firms, are queuing up to gain access to Chinese data and know-how on making cars smarter. This complements China's natural endowments, giving it an edge in battery tech. Self-driving cars running on rechargeable lithium ions could be the biggest breakthrough in global emissions reduction in the foreseeable future. This is one revolution China should not have difficulty exporting to the world.