It was an unforgettable ride, the billionaire said. jpg” alt=”Ο Bill Gates Εκανε test drive με оχημα αυτоνομης ο&delta ;orγησης (βλντεο)” />
In the busy streets of London, Bill Gates took a walk in a self-driving car.
The billionaire expressed his thoughts about this experience on his blog, saying that it was “an unforgettable ride “while adding that “it was a bit surreal being in the car and avoiding traffic”.
However, as the Microsoft co-founder noted, the trip included a driver who took control of the car multiple times. Even so, Gates thinks self-driving cars, without even involving a steering wheel, are coming sooner than we might expect.
He also posted a video of his experience:
The car's technology was built by British startup Wayve, which is working with Microsoft on its AI-based self-driving software, CNBC reports. The six-year-old startup has raised more than $250 million from investors including Microsoft, billionaire Virgin Group co-founder Richard Branson and Meta's chief AI scientist Yann LeCun.
As technology advances, cars could be good for your wallet and the planet, Gates argued. Autonomous vehicles may eventually become cheaper than regular cars, and most of them will probably be electric.
Currently, even the most advanced autonomous vehicles require a driver, who can leave the steering wheel, in certain situations and must always be ready to regain control. The next step, where the vehicle will take the reins, comes within the next decade, Gates wrote.
Cars for personal use also won't be the first, second or even third type of fully autonomous vehicle on public roads, he stressed. Trucks and long-haul delivery vehicles take precedence, followed by robotaxis or rental cars.
U.S. consumers will likely gain access to fully autonomous vehicles only after a complete overhaul of the driving infrastructure and of the country's legislation, he added.
Last year, US regulators cleared the way for self-driving cars built without steering wheels or even pedals. In January, consulting firm McKinsey predicted that by 2035, about 37 percent of new passenger cars sold will feature advanced self-driving technology, where cars can handle most driving situations on their own without drivers having to control. By that point, the driverless car industry will bring in as much as $400 billion a year, McKinsey predicted.
