The automation of cars will require a political response.
The self-driving revolution could pull the rug out from under the most common form of employment for American men without a college degree: driving.
The long-term outlook for the 8.7 million jobs in trucking is bleak following successful beta road tests of self-driving trucks from companies like Otto. Driving a truck is the most common employment in most American states.
Three things to note:
1. Automation could cause the cost of transportation to drop so low that the rich segregate themselves to well-off exurbs
2. If cars aren't already electric by then, it could also cause emissions to spike.
3. Self-driving taxis might be cheap, but do we really want them to replace public transit (which retains a public obligation to serve everyone equally)?