Self-driving cars have been the talk of the tech world for a few years, and while the technology is advancing quite quickly, the reality is that it is not yet ready to be implemented in any meaningful way, but this could change fast, at lest according to Microsoft Founder Bill Gates.
The tech giant gives a talk at the beginning of every year where he gives his take on the advancements that will take place during the next twelve months, and one of the main talking points in the 2025 talk had to do with the evolution of the technology responsible for self-driving cars. According to him, this technology will not just transform transportation, but it could also redefine how people use their time.
The impact of self-driving car in the lives of people
Since the birth of factories, commutes have been one of the most inefficient parts of our days. Unless you live on site or get paid incredibly well, odds are you live more than a few minutes away from your place of employment (the pandemic and remote work changed this for some, but not for all), and if you live outside of a major city odds are that you use a car to get to your job (except in the US, where even in major cities cars are the most common method of transportation). This leaves commuters with an average of one hour per day of driving, and even more if your area is prone to traffic jams. For reference, a report points out that drivers in cities like New York or London lose an average of 100 hours annually to traffic jams.
But, what if we could use that time to do something else? After all, commuters in public transit often read, listen to podcasts or just relax and decompress, and if you could do that in the privacy of your own vehicle it could revolutionize the car journey.
Some companies are already making headway, for example the American autonomous driving technology company Waymo has developed robotaxis that no longer need a human driver to step in. Seeing these advancements, Bill Gates predicts that this year will mark a turning point, with carmakers pushing forward with their autonomous systems and figuring out how to win over skeptical drivers. As Bill Gates puts it, “The time you spend driving could become time for yourself.” But this will have to be a gradual process.
Self-driving cars might be a bit too far away, but the technology could be put to good use and faster in commercial vehicles, especially those used for long-haul trips. Self-driving trucks and delivery vans could cut costs, improve safety, and reduce accidents, and because many of them are not used in areas with high pedestrian traffic, this would reduce the risks involved when dealing with the human factor. Of course, a driver would still be needed, but it would mean a lot more hands off driving. But even with all the potential pros, the adoption of these vehicles on a large scale is no small feat. The industry is already working toward more sustainable transportation models, and integrating autonomous driving into that mix adds another layer of complexity.
As with almost all the new technologies, the most complex part, at least according to Bill Gates, will be building AI systems that can handle driving as safely as humans. Even better than them if possible as the technology will not have any of the human distractions. Once that is well underway, traffic laws and road infrastructure will need significant updates to accommodate these new vehicles, as for now, the rules cannot get behind a driver just sitting idly looking at their phone or reading a book.
