Yesterday, 9/30/2021, Waymo & Cruise were granted permission to operate conditional, commercial driverless service by California DMV. While they are still awaiting approval from the Public Utilities Commission to operate, they are able to test with passengers.

I’ve heard people say they are concerned about automation and the robots taking our jobs. I wrote this in June, 2018 because automation should be something that uplifts us, rather than a danger we actively prevent. And after a year and a half of Zooming, I hope it all reminds us how important it is to connect with others, to be present. Being there is what prevents us from becoming avatars who are replaced by bots.

In an age of increasing automation the best thing to do is to be human, to be present, to connect. If you want life to matter, then value it over the automated product. This is about elevating the human condition beyond beings that push buttons and pull levers, but to evolve so that technology serves us rather than us serving technology. 

Just this thought and passage alone is a chore to record as It is my thumbs vigorously tapping, fingers clicking on the keyboard. If I want reliable written word this is the still the surest way to capture it since voice transcription and autocorrect can hinder as much as they help. The goal for new technology should be to lift us, not ensnare us. 

We need to value our humanity. Connection. Presence. Collaboration. Currently many of us are serving a technological master rather than a human one. Many of the jobs which people view as lost in the era of automation are just that, such as a factory line worker, a store cashier, a car/truck/bus/taxi driver.

We should not view these jobs as lost, but rather look for the ways in which they can evolve. The act of long haul trucking is solitary and isolating. And the bus or taxi driver is surrounded by people that they can’t risk truly interacting with. Tour guides, helpers, teachers, even a friendly face that can answer questions. This would improve the experience for the riders.

Recently in speaking with a transportation professional they said they were studying TNCs for induced demand. Induced demand has been synonymous with a bad thing. In this case - traffic. By widening the road, the traffic still exists because now more people will take trips since it has become easier to do so...and so the vicious cycle begins. But these trips could be for a new job opportunity or to see a friend or loved one or experience a new place. When reaffirming our humanity, we need ALL of the trips. We just need to ensure that the trips are priced according to their impact. And that price paid goes towards optimizing all trips in the form of infrastructure (road, transit, bike lanes) to support. And that any penalties paid are towards optimizing travel and eliminating environmental impacts. 

We need to not just incorporate technology, but to embrace it. We need to welcome automation so that it might benefit all of us and lift the human condition. And we need to be human, be present, connect and support each other in meaningful ways so that we may truly evolve.