Still, it’s plausible that Autopilot and its ilk save lives. More computer control should minimize the fallout when human drivers get distracted, sleepy, or drunk. “Elon’s probably right in that the number of crashes caused by this is going to be less than the ones that are going to be avoided,” says Costa Samaras, a civil engineer who studies electric and autonomous vehicles at Carnegie Mellon University.1 “But that doesn’t change how we interact with, regulate, and buy this technology right now.” In other words: It’s never too early to ask questions.
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