Those Self Driving Vehicles Everyone Wants, Will Cause The Loss Of Millions Of Jobs

Why do people only look at the lost of million of jobs but fail to see the million of jobs created to bring the new features.

Mainly because the retraining to a better job doesn't translate well for many in these situations. A truck driver might be great at what he does for decades, however may not be a good fit in a higher job level. Now he is effectively unemployed or under employed. The same goes for assembly line workers and other blue collar jobs.

Actually - once the "new features" are in place - there won't be jobs creating them - only maintaining them - BUT once you replace ALL of the CAR industry with self driving cars - the result will severely reduce the number of people needed - in addition - automation will also reduce the number of manufacturing jobs as well..

Since there will be no reason to own a car - they will ALL be the same as mandated by law - same acceleration -same braking - the only difference would be the various sizes - and when you need a car - all you do is order one up when you need it - so lack of need of down-time as well.

Without public roads (Only for the self drivers) - there will be no need for performance vehicles since their performance will be limited to the lowest car on the road.

I observe that the battle cry of "loss of millions of jobs" is bandied about by people who wish to manipulate public perception through alarmist, fear-mongering means. Examples include:

- We must give billions of dollars to failed US automakers, or we'll lose millions of jobs

- We must give billions of dollars to failed US financial firms, or we'll lose millions of jobs

- We must make sure US coal continues to roll, or we'll lose millions of jobs

- We must close down our borders and build walls, or we'll lose millions of jobs

Live in fear, and you'll beg a powerful Leader and powerful government to protect you from your imagined enemies, as only they can.

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But getting back to the topic of autonomous cars putting millions of people out of work: That's what people believed at the turn of the 19th/20th Century when Henry Ford started rolling out those newfangled horseless carriages en masse! All those horse-groomers, stable masters, feed growers and suppliers, street sweepers, leather workers, wheelwrights, carriage smiths, blacksmiths, veterinarians, and more... all threatened with job loss! Total chaos awaited! Social collapse was in the wings! Stop the horseless carriage! It's the work of the devil!!!

Nah. Cooler heads prevailed. Fears were brushed aside. The world didn't change overnight. It took years to make the transition from horse and buggy to the automobile, and people gradually changed to keep up with the changes. I assure you, the transition to autonomous vehicles will take years to unfold. It won't happen overnight, to the surprise and shock of millions.

Doesn't mean people didn't suffer in the process.

But it's years if not decades away. Plenty of time for retirements and the younger generation to determine their best career path.

For every job lost there is likely to be one created. Unfortunately the new jobs may require new skills, new capital investment and new locations displacing those left behind. When the horse was replaced by the automobile millions of jobs were lost (blacksmiths, stable hands, breeders, coach makers, coach drivers, etc etc) and replaced by others with a different skill set. The iphone has cost millions of jobs directly and indirectly but created many more as well. Its an economic reality as economies and technology evolve.

There is nothing new about this. Horse jobs, gone. Railroad jobs, gone. Shipping jobs, gone. Telephone, newspaper, postal, cable jobs, all gone.

Who moved my cheese? Progress is brutal, it is relentless, it is unforgiving.

That's quite true. That said... I don't want no stinkin self-driving car for myself.

Re “…Progress is brutal…”

I wonder at which point that became true? Was it when our distant ancestors lived in trees and had a tail? Was it when our newer ancestors lived in caves, or when our still newer ancestors learned to harness fire, make homes, and grow their own food rather than relying on hunting and gathering alone?

I don’t claim “progress,” in any form, is always and only good. However, I do note that the attempt to stifle change is futile. Change is inevitable. So, if we can’t stop change, we should at least do our best to make the change most beneficial, and to minimize the inevitable “transition trauma” that some will experience.

Most people don’t want self driving cars.

Yet everyone and their mom will be using them 5 years from now.

Which in the future will be a self driving car!