pic: Google Streetview driver autograph

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by Ian Curtis

This is a gross oversimplification of an extremely complicated flight controls and human computer interactions issue. Just because the Airbus side stick is not physically linked like a Boeing yoke and does not have force feedback does not mean that the controls were not "synced." Please do more reading.

The pilots weren't in sync with each other, as demonstrated at the 02:13:40 mark here. The AirFrance 447 was used as a mere example of the exact complexities you're talking about. I don't think I 'grossly simplified' it.

The issue at hand in a car isn't whether 2 drivers need to be in sync or whether steer-by-wire is 'safe', 'important', or 'whatever'. It's a fundamental tendency for humans to stop paying attention to the dynamic, constantly-changing situation the vehicle is put into since 'autonomous' can do it 'better'. The Airbus situation, where the pilots had to take over in an emergency, is easily multiplied on the road because there are astronomically more interactions for a computer to be unable to handle while driving.

For the thought exercise -- doctors who cure cancer (but which one of the hundreds that have been identified??) are still fundamentally doctors. They will always have inifinite patients.