"“Tracks – especially dedicated tracks – are an important simplifier that automated road vehicles don't enjoy,” says Bryant Walker Smith, an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, who studies the technology, in an email to The Christian Science Monitor.
But Smith argues those changes come with the territory. He draws a contrast with autopilot systems on planes, which – despite some passengers’ beliefs – are not designed to fly planes at all times or replace pilots.
“Of course these systems change the number and nature of transit jobs. Every significant technological development has employment implications,” he says."