Prepare to be obsolete: Self-driving cars hit the road

Latest tech at CES 2013 poses the question: Humans (what are we good for)?

Published January 9, 2013 5:27PM (EST)

   (Toyota)
(Toyota)

The tech scene is all a-titter about the new crop of autonomous cars being unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Association industry showcase this year.

Decked out with a host of sensors and cameras that can detect what is around the vehicle, these cars can operate without anyone behind the wheel. But that doesn't mean that they will, says Jim Pisz, corporate manager of North American business strategy at Toyota. As he told the tech site Endgadget:

Autonomous does not mean driverless ... technology should enhance a driver's skills, but we do believe that the technology is at a state where it can intervene in a case where driver error is absolutely evident.

So rejoice, fellow humans! We still have a few years left before the machines take over.

 


By Katie McDonough

Katie McDonough is Salon's politics writer, focusing on gender, sexuality and reproductive justice. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com.

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