Some companies are pinning their hopes on driverless trucks for long-haul transportation of goods, but there may be some kinks to be worked out in the process, according to pro truckers.
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry wrote an opinion piece for Fox News saying autonomous driving will provide prosperity for the future, but much of this comes not only from profit-seeking on the part of companies, but from competition with nations such as China, with which the US is competing for artificial intelligence technology in a number of ways.
"There are components that are sourced from either China or Russia, and there's not a human behind the wheel," so the hacking of a computerized autonomous vehicle could turn into a road disaster, George O'Connor, director of communications for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says.
Former Trump Energy Secretary Perry also said in his opinion column that there's a shortage of truck drivers, a statement with which O'Connor disagrees.
"Data shared from the US Department of Transportation, roughly 400,000 commercial drivers' licenses are issued every single year, at a minimum," he says.
The US is making an exhaustive effort to keep up with or surpass China in the race to upgrade artificial intelligence to higher levels, but O'Connor says he's concerned that "to rush a technology to market, before it might be proven to be safe, is very concerning."