Good post George. But I’m surprised by this assertion:
You could imagine a country deciding to ban self-driving, autonomous drones, automated checkouts, and such, resulting in a massive loss to GDP and cost to consumers. But that cost is expressed in… what? restaurant orders? Starbucks lattes? Having to take the bus or, god forbid, bike or scooter? slower and more expensive amazon deliveries? There’s real value somewhere in there, sure, where “real” needs could be met by this increasing automation, but they don’t seem to be its main target.
That’s hard for me to fathom. Self-driving cars, autonomous drones, and automated checkouts will have a far greater impact on society and the economy than just GDP stats and slightly lower-cost consumer goods. Mass adoption of self-driving cars alone would make big waves. The option of having cheap transportation anywhere on demand is a major boon for people in poverty. As autonomous vehicles become more commonplace, consider how many parking spaces in America could be replaced with more stores, housing, etc...
Good post George. But I’m surprised by this assertion:
That’s hard for me to fathom. Self-driving cars, autonomous drones, and automated checkouts will have a far greater impact on society and the economy than just GDP stats and slightly lower-cost consumer goods. Mass adoption of self-driving cars alone would make big waves. The option of having cheap transportation anywhere on demand is a major boon for people in poverty. As autonomous vehicles become more commonplace, consider how many parking spaces in America could be replaced with more stores, housing, etc...
This is why I said I’m not certain it will have an impact, rather than I’m sure it will or won’t.
I can see self-driving having a big impact, but won’t that impact be outweighed by the kind of jobs people have to drive to being mainly automated?