Technology’s rapid development is unsettling. Sometimes it feels like we’re the ones becoming obsolete.
Will AI steal my job? When robots become sentient will they remember my internet search history? Have they been programmed to judge me for it?
But in San Francisco there’s a story about a group of rebels who are fighting back against technology’s encroach one road cone at a time.
In the last couple of years, there’s been wave of driverless taxis roaming the streets of America’s tech capital. They’re predominately run by two companies, Cruise (owned by GM), and Waymo (owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet). Between these two companies they’ve spent millions of dollars in development. But not everyone loves them.
One group of people, the Safe Street Rebels, are working to sabotage autonomous taxis.
And – hilariously – it doesn’t take much.
They’ve discovered a single road cone placed on the bonnet will immobilise the car and start the hazard lights.
Here’s a video of the vigilantes in action:
So other than the fact that scuttling billions of dollars of tech with a single road cone is kind of funny, why are the Safe Street Rebels out to get autonomous taxis?
As their name suggests, they take issue with these cars’ safety record. They’ve collated a list of their indiscretions here.
But, despite the safety concerns and vulnerabilities, these cars are being rolled out in more states in the US.
Autonomous taxis are in Phoenix and testing in Los Angeles Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Nashville, and Charlotte.
Let’s hope they don’t have road cones there.
