It is very unclear so far what this means re:ford and cars in general.
So far, we have seen zero credible proof of anything apart from Tesla.
There have been about 10+ announcements from Audi, BMW, etc. et. al. for over 10 years with zero actual plans, budgets, tech, results, tests, videos, product announcements, spending, hires, credible personnel etc.
Ie I don´t mean this is vaporware.
But, so far, none of the typical Big Auto companies have done anything.
I am not "real" a Tsla fan, as such, although I follow the field and tech intensely re_ money and stock market.
As soon as we see something real happening, we can start to think about implications.
It´s obvious at some point self-driving cars will happen.
The tech is already dirt-cheap on a 3-5 year timeframe (tech curve and mass manufacturing and electronics cost curve).
A 100.000 $ lidar is already available for 200$ or so. Etc.
The current 1.2 M points / sec envelope will go to 100M points in 3 years at half the cost.
Important.
At 30 frames/sec (3 m distance at 100m/sec), thats 40.000 points.
Thats only 200x200 points / FOV.
Okey, triple at 30 m /sec.
A good monitor is 1900, or 2700 x 1200 (32" 2x, mine, Hp, Nvidia Quadra).
What EM says, that self-driving is Really Near, is certainly true (I was an IT specialist for 20 years).
What is also true, is that everyone can buy it, cots, 3 years later, for 100$ in sw and maybe 800$ in hw (a few smartphones+some sensors, essentially).
Trboats .. no more cabs w. humans.
All truck driving jobs stop.
School bus.
Bus lanes.
Delivery, ups, dhl, fedex, mostly.
The new Barcelona metro , L9, where I live, is already self driving (siemens iirc).
All this is both good and bad.
In general, stopping lower-educated, lower-paying jobs is good for everyone.
At the personal level, it´s hard on the (ex)workers in the short term.
In the US, it will be harder than elsewhere, as most other oecd countries have fewer auto-sector manual jobs.
Mostly because it´s more expensive, and education is cheap (free), so automation is more common.
Ie less trucks (by population/merchandise) in the Eu, much more bulk transport by train etc.
Obviously, clueless taxi drivers and truckers will complain/protect/boycott like any other luddites.
I have low-to-zero sympathy.
I don´t like people who think they are owed high benefits from my taxes.
I pay high taxes (40-50%).
Fair enough.
I don´t want them wasted on people who wont adjusted, adapt, move on.
If You bought a high $$ taxi license, and its value went down, it´s just like machining.
Competition increases, You adapt.
Sell the license, at loss if need be, and thats it.
We, The people, do NOT owe YOU anything, because You speculated on a given license/job.
In real terms, of course, the right choice is adjustments, and they can be, imho, be financed by the government, on sensible terms.
I don´t want, and I think no one else does, 2 million unemployed US truck drivers, overnight.
But the reality is that when technology evolves, luddites won´t stop it.
