Autonomous driving was thought to be the simplest part of artificial intelligence, but the difficulties faced by companies in this field have become evident. Cruise, General Motors' subsidiary, attempted to operate a commercial service of autonomous vehicles but did not get close enough to viability. Other competitors, such as Alphabet's Waymo, also depend on remote operators, revealing that Cruise's technology may not have been as sophisticated as expected.
By the end of 2023, a Cruise robotaxi was involved in an accident where it hit a pedestrian in San Francisco. Although the vehicle braked, it continued moving and dragged the woman for several meters. This incident highlighted that autonomous cars are far from having the capabilities of a human driver. The idea of having fully functional robotaxis still seems distant for many.
The lack of success in autonomous driving raises questions about the ability of tech companies to replace humans in complex tasks. Waymo, another leader in the field, has faced criticism for operational issues, which has impacted its finances. The exaggeration of autonomous vehicle capabilities has led GM to reconsider its strategy and merge its efforts in this area.
Despite the exaggerated promises, companies betting on autonomous driving have struggled to make profits and solve fundamental issues. The need for human intervention in these technologies, whether to supervise autonomous cars or AI chatbots, reflects that there is still a long way to go in developing AI applied to mobility.
Inflated expectations about autonomous driving have led to significant financial losses and a reassessment of strategies in the automotive industry. The challenge of making autonomous cars operate effectively, safely, and profitably remains an unresolved task. Meanwhile, errors in autonomous driving and other fields of artificial intelligence raise doubts about the reliability and sustainability of these technologies in the future.
