Driving down the freeway I see signs that say Humans caused 400+ deaths this year alone. I welcome our human saving self driving cars. I welcome the idea that elderly can be mobile and safe. I welcome the idea that ambulances will be a thing of the past and that emergencies can be dealt with in the greatest of urgency. I welcome no more drunk driving or texting. I welcome no more sharp curves for teenagers driving ability. I welcome less road rage. I welcome automatted home delivery of medication. I welcome a cheaper way to maintain roads. I welcome never having to worry about daughters or sons being lost. I welcome no more car jackings. I welcome never having to park. I welcome never being late because of traffic. I welcome people with diabetes not having to worry if they will kill someone on the way home. The world is already a scary place. Robotic and automation scares only serve those who profit from death and pain. There is a textbook on automation I am reading (although it focuses on manufacturing) and it seems to me with every iteration of automation, we have done more for that safety of humanity than any medical text book could have achecived.
My state displays updated statistics on many of its roadways that say "XXXX drivers killed this year on your state's roadways. Drive safe, drive smart, drive sober." This amuses me because some fraction of those deaths are attributable to the terrible infrastructure design and conditions maintained by the same department displaying the statistics. Now that's just not true. I'm with you 100% on everything else but that statement. Some people are just plain scared of entrusting their lives to a network of computers. And when the potential to abuse and/or hack such a network is always a possibility, that fear has plenty of validity. On the whole, though? Hell yeah, gimme moar bots.Robotic and automation scares only serve those who profit from death and pain.
Oh I'm sorry if it came off like I was blaming the people who are scared. No. I am definitely not blaming any individual for not wanting to trust their lives to a computer. I meant specifically articles like these and the mirad of other "AI Will Destroy us in the future" scares. I was trying to convey the message that CNN et al have an invested interest in selling page views and fear of the future makes it easy yo do that.