The future is upon us, or so it seems. Every day, we are besieged by new technologies and forces of distortion that claim to improve our lives. We willingly trade our habits and quirks for streamlined convenience, placing our faith in artificial intelligence and machine learning, hoping that we will become smarter in the process. As we consider this next chapter in the evolution of the human race, or at least the next step in our ongoing technological revolution, we need to ask ourselves just how much difference and divergence we are willing to sacrifice in the name of progress.
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine asked the following question of his Facebook followers: "Do we really need driver-less cars?" My answer was a perfunctory "yes," but I now feel that I should have given a more detailed response, as many people still seem to be on the fence when it comes to automated vehicles. Personally, I think the question is moot at this point. We need driver-less cars; the sooner, the better. After years, if not decades, of technological upheaval, I believe we are poised for another major leap forward.