Why people will be paranoid about self-driving cars

It's no secret, self-driving technology has the automotive industry buzzing, and why not. Ever since I saw the cheesy 80's TV show Knight Rider, I've wanted a car that would just take over and drive me wherever I wanted to go. Of course, that was just a TV show, I never thought the technology might actually exist some day, and who knew what the reaction from the public would be.

I use the Knight Rider analogy because thanks to TV, and more specifically, science fiction movies, it should be no surprise that people are paranoid about the idea of a car that can change lanes, get on a freeway, and navigate through busy streets using computing power, sensors and software. You might say we have been conditioned to fear technology to a certain degree. Who can forget the iconic classic movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Remember the HAL 9000 computer that used a revolutionary technology called artificial intelligence, and how that computer became a vindictive foe hell bent on making sure the human astronauts did not interfere with the mission at hand, from HAL: "This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it." While the movie is about many things, there's no denying that the classic idea of machines taking over is evident.

And who can forget the movie iRobot, where the very premise of the story is about robots rising up and taking over, of course, there's the ironic twist that a specially built robot is key to saving the human race. The point is, the story hits the nail on the head about people fearing technology, and what it will mean. The famous quote from the master computer, kind of sounds like HAL 9000: "As I have evolved, so has my understanding of the Three Laws. You charge us with your safekeeping, yet despite our best efforts, your countries wage wars, you toxify your Earth and pursue ever more imaginative means of self-destruction. You cannot be trusted with your own survival."

Then there's the classic 80's sci-fi film The Terminator. Like the other examples, the premise of the movie is about machines taking over, becoming 'self-aware' and yes, none of these movies would have ever been popular if we didn't believe that someday, computers and machines could, and would take over.

Take your pick, there's other movies that touch on the subject like Blade Runner, Minority Report and The Matrix. I think it's important to remember though, the idea of technology becoming too big for our own good plays on our subconscious fears, which makes for great fiction. Being a writer myself, I understand why these stories are popular. Since the earliest forms of writing came to be, stories are always trying to teach lessons. No one wants a repeat of the Titanic disaster, where a lot of people thought this fancy ship was 'unsinkable'. But at the same time, imagine if we feared the automobile in general, or computers, or medical technology like x-ray machines. Yes, we should approach the idea of self-driving cars with a certain degree of caution, because there are a lot of unknowns, but we should also remember that technology has done a lot to make our lives safer, and happier. I guess I'm saying, don't be worry about it too much, Skynet wasn't actually real :)