It's easy to understand why some of us don't like the idea of autonomous cars. We enjoy the drive, adore the freedom, and practiced heel-toe downshifts for too damn long to give it up. But Ben Collins – former Stig and current halfwit – apparently gets paid to play fear mongering pundit rather than rational commentator.
"I think it's terrifying," is how Collins sets up the softballs. "Robots are fantastic as dishwashers, but they don't make very good drivers."
Agreed! Our magical robotic dishwashers are amazing! And ironically, they're treated the same as cars by people who consider both to be appliances for doing menial shit.
Collins then goes on to explain that computers aren't capable of decision making and that all the necessary systems aren't up to snuff. (Exactly why we threw out the first dishwashers and continued to scrub pots and pans by hand. Technology never improves!)
One place we do agree is that drivers should be better trained. It's just too bad that both the public and politicians aren't willing to step up, which is one of the reasons autonomous technology is being developed.
You can watch the entire segment here, because he does have a few honest critiques, but most of it comes off as knee jerk, faux-rage rather than reasoned argument.