Although Bill Gates and Elon Musk have argued about climate change, artificial intelligence, and other fields, these two tech billionaires may agree on one thing: the transformative potential of self-driving cars.
Gates recently published a blog post about self-driving cars. He predicts that the technology will reach a “tipping point” in the next decade. Once cars truly become autonomous, they will be as revolutionary as personal computers. “At that point, self-driving cars will thoroughly change transportation, just as personal computers changed office work,” Gates said.
Recently, he also rode in a self-driving car developed by British startup Wayve, and the experience seems to have left a profound impression on him. He said the experience was “fantastic.” However, he also pointed out in the blog that the safety driver next to him took over the car a few times.
“We took a spin through the center of London in a self-driving car. It was one of the most challenging driving environments imaginable. It felt a bit surreal sitting in the car avoiding all the traffic,” Gates said.
Gates believes that only after self-driving technology is applied to long-haul trucks, delivery vehicles, taxis, and rental cars will personal vehicles have autonomous capabilities. He predicts that self-driving cars will eventually be cheaper than regular cars and save people time (time spent driving) while helping the elderly and disabled travel. However, he believes that the widespread adoption of self-driving cars may still require “decades.”
So far, no personal vehicle can be self-driving, although some companies have begun offering self-driving taxi services in some cities. Services like Cruise and Waymo, owned by General Motors, use detailed maps and programming and only operate in specific areas of cities. In contrast, Wayve (similar to Tesla) wants to develop an AI-driven car that can learn to drive anywhere, even places it has never been to before.
