Self-driving is (and will be) amazing
I am beyond excited for full self-driving (FSD) to proliferate everywhere. I believe it's going to be one of the most positive transformational technologies of the 21st century. I actually haven't yet taken a ride in a FSD Tesla or Waymo taxi, but I hope to do so soon.
A majority of people don't share my view as of today. Multiple surveys and polls show caution and mistrust in self-driving technology. I completely understand. It's hard to get over the fact that you're placing your physical well-being in the care of a computer on the road. The tech is far from perfect right now too, and the cost of mistakes could very well be too high.
But I think these growing pains will pass. Companies like Waymo and Tesla are well-funded, run by incredibly smart engineers and technologists, and are quietly building a solid track record. They will solve the transportation problem.
I imagine driving as a costly solution to a must-solve problem. People have to get places in a time and fuel-efficient manner. The best we've done so far is the automobile. The cost (beyond buying the car, gas, and repairs/upkeep) is the fact that your time and attention must be entirely consumed by driving the car. It's why commuting is considered a "daily activity."
A person's time and attention is the most valuable thing they possess. Any technology that relieves a tax on those two resources is one I can get behind. My idealistic vision of the future is actually manually driving your car will be a party trick, kind of like manual transmission is now. Or even like riding a horse today. Someone can do it if they wanted to, but the standard is just so much better that it won't really have much practical merit.
Some Practical Benefits of FSD
Beyond this philosophical belief, I have many more practical reasons to be so thrilled about self-driving.
Fix traffic: Traffic is a function of number of cars on the road, but also the lack of coordination amongst those drivers. Assuming self-driving tech from different companies will be able to communicate with every other FSD on the road, mass-coordination could be achieved, alleviating a significant amount of traffic.
Productivity or leisure boost: Instead of driving the car, someone can sit and do anything else while the car drives (work, call a friend, nap, etc.). The cognitive burden associated with operating the vehicle will be zero or near-zero as FSD improves, meaning your own car will be like public transportation is today, in that sense.
Mobility for the elderly, disabled, etc.: So many groups of people can't drive a car today for various reasons.
End DUIs: No more drunk driving if the car does the driving for you. Heck, we may get to the point when having a drink in your own car is legal, because there's no realistic concern that someone may drive drunk. Could be...
I also like the theory that cars will generate an income for those who own them—the car can go out and provide rides to people when you aren't using it. A passive Uber, of sorts. That might mean many fewer people actually own cars because people who don't need a car too often could just summon an autonomous vehicle whenever you need it. That raises all sorts of questions and branches, so I'll leave that there.
Regardless, the future of FSD and our transportation lives is incredibly bright. I can't wait to see where it goes.