"Uber's move to carry people with autonomous vehicles is not surprising, given the company's history of pushing into gray areas where there is little or no regulation, said Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina professor who studies self-driving technology.
Pennsylvania, he said, has no laws governing autonomous cars and how they relate to ride-hailing, but local laws may require a driver behind the wheel. By using human backup drivers, Uber basically is going to test the technology and take people along for the ride, he said.
"Part of this is marketing in the sense that they're going to be doing continued research and development of these systems, but they're going to carry people in the process," he said."
- Date Published:08/18/2016
- Original Publication:Chicago Tribune