"Uber might have a plausible legal argument, based on the text of the legislation, said Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina and a specialist in autonomous vehicle law. But the intent of the law, he said, is “in large part about building trust, and Uber is not building any trust in its systems or practices by doing this.”
Like all other states that have passed autonomous driving regulations, California defines “autonomous technology” as having the “capability” to drive a vehicle with no human intervention. Uber claims that its cars are not autonomous and that there is always a driver inside. But it does call the cars “self-driving.” If the company is not being disingenuous, it is “over-claiming” the capabilities, Smith said. “A human is turning the steering wheel.”"