Monday’s deal between Uber and Volvo could set the stage for a new reality: thousands of autonomous vehicles ferrying customers to their destinations without a human operator. (Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters)Uber swung one of the largest deals for autonomous vehicles Monday, ordering 24,000 vehicles from Volvo — a move that is expected to advance the case for self-driving cars on American streets. Once fully autonomous cars begin operating en masse, the pace will only accelerate, said Jamie ­Arbib, the founder of ­RethinkX, a think tank that forecasts ­technology-driven disruption. Despite the push toward vehicles without drivers, Miller said Uber drivers should not worry about being phased out of the company’s long-term plans. You’re going to see a hybrid fleet of human- and robot-driven vehicles.”Arbib said Uber drivers shouldn’t worry about getting a new job immediately but should take note of the company’s long-term strategy.

Source: Washington Post November 21, 2017 00:45 UTC