[ddol]

I got access to Waymo recently and it is astoundingly good, it has replaced Uber for me (in SF).

I suspect it will be some time before we can get insurance policys for privately owned autonomous vehicles. If Google own the car and wrote the AI software then there’s only one party who is ultimately responsible should a collision occour. This is more complicated if you privately own an autonomous vehicle which is in an accident. Does the AI share culpability with the owner? How will insurance claims work?

Tesla requires users “maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle” while autopilot is on, and it feels like that is a CYA hedge should autopilot fail (“see, we told them to stay in control”).

[wkat4242]

> I suspect it will be some time before we can get insurance policys for privately owned autonomous vehicles. If Google own the car and wrote the AI software then there’s only one party who is ultimately responsible should a collision occour. This is more complicated if you privately own an autonomous vehicle which is in an accident. Does the AI share culpability with the owner? How will insurance claims work?

I understand it will require a bit of a legal rethink, but I don't give a shit. The industry will just have to figure this one out. And in the end it's the insurance company that's financially responsible anyway, whether it's a human driver or computer in control.

But the legal issues are really the least thing that should hold this back. Don't forget it will actually make roads a lot safer by no longer having people in a hurry run red lights or cut off other drivers. And it will be good for the environment as well, as autonomous vehicles will be able to coordinate together on optimal speeds in busy conditions, alleviating the need for stop & go traffic jams.

Legal stuff is really meant to serve society, not hold it back.