2. Self-Driving Trucks
What It Does: Eliminates The Need For Truck Drivers
Expected Rollout: As Early as 2022
Otto, a self-driving truck company that was acquired by Uber in August 2020, successfully tested its prototype in October of 2020, proving that Otto is able to drive safely for long periods of time without a person behind the wheel. While being operated by the A.I., the trucks are monitored by someone in a control room for safety purposes.
Self-Driving Trucks ©Andrus Ciprian / Shutterstock.com
The cost of an autonomous truck is yet to be disclosed, however, seeing as how it’s been estimated that up to 500,000 long-haul truck drivers in America may lose their jobs when the trucks do finally take to the road commercially, the cost of savings for the truck companies, as well as the cost to the economy, will be large.