When thinking about a futuristic society, the first things that pop into mind are robots, self-driving cars and holograms. Well, we are halfway there. Waymos and food delivery robots have taken Los Angeles by storm. As an LA resident, I rarely leave the house without seeing at least one of these autonomous machines. With the increasing amount of advanced technology, we must deal with the potential benefits and downfalls that come with them.
With the automation of manual tasks, such as driving and delivering, there is a decline in accessible employment from rideshare services, as Uber and Postmates provide a source of income for many Americans across the country. Therefore, with the increase of self-driving cars and food delivery robots, there’s an inevitable loss of jobs in this field of work.
While the introduction of autonomous vehicles poses challenges to many employment opportunities, their potential to significantly improve riders’ safety makes them a compelling advancement. According to The New York Times, from 2017 to 2022 there were 400,181 Uber trips in the United States with reports of sexual assault or sexual misconduct.
As teenage girls, there’s always anxiety when entering any rideshare service. Getting to a destination with a stranger driving you, there’s a feelingin the back of your mind that something can go wrong. With the absence of a driver, Waymos offers a reassuring feeling that you don’t have to inter- act with a stranger driving you. A few hundred Waymos have the potential to erase hundreds if not thousands of sexual assault cases annually.
Additionally, autonomous vehicles abide by traffic rules that can reduce uncertainty that humans can cause. We all know that many LA drivers and
drivers all over the world can bend road rules. Whether it is forgetting to signal, not waiting a full three seconds at a stop sign or going above the speed limit, many drivers are guilty of these actions.
Even though these errors seem minimal, 94% of crashes are caused by human errors according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Waymos, though, are designed to follow all traffic rules, thus reducing potential for crashes.
Although it is important to consider the long-term risk of unemployment, the debate shouldn’t focus solely on labor consequences. We should also concentrate on safety, especially for those who face immense risk when being transported.
Overall, even though automation may reshape jobs in the long term, vehicles like Waymos aren’t a takeover, they’re another option.
