2004.08.29
We're trying to make an airplane like a horse. A horse doesn't want to be driven off a cliff. And if you're drunk and fall asleep, it's going to take you back to the barn.The quote reminds me of this one I kisrael'd in 2002 about the comparison between horses and what an intelligent car would be like.
That does seem like one of the biggest problems. People seem barely qualified to drive, flying without automation would be crazy. Also, it seems like traffic would be more sensitive to weather conditions if everyone was flying...
Of course, thinking about how much I'd love a car that could drive itself...the sad thing is the track record for those things, at least in the early days, has to be pretty much perfect. One big fatality and suddenly self-driving cars are a menace to society, ignoring what such a system could do in improving quality of life and preventing accidents by sleepy or tipsy drivers...