Self-driving cars have finally hit the road, and tech companies want the automated systems to take the wheel.
From self-driving vehicles to delivery robots, companies like Uber, Lyft, and Doordash want these advanced technologies to take over their everyday services to consumers—but making these automated robots mainstream will require a bit of cash.
Business Insider reports these companies plan to make significant investments into these advanced technologies over the next year. In these tech giants quarterly earning reports, an emphasis was placed on autonomous vehicles.
DoorDash has already implemented its own robot called Dot, which navigates bike lanes and sidewalks to make deliveries sans the human companion.
The company wants to scale up the development of these robots, but there are caveats.
“This is not something that’s going to happen overnight,” explained CEO Tony Xu on a recent earnings call. “It does require making investments upfront.”
The company’s stock price took a dive with news of this investment, but other companies are following suit to prioritize autonomous vehicles in their production.
Lyft has already begun developing a depot in Nashville to hold their self-driving cars, which will cost the rideshare giant between $10 and $15 million. Uber revealed that although self-driving cars are bleeding money from the corporation, it plan to scale up profits over time with increased availability.
Fears that this will reduce thehuman workforce remain prevalent. Black people also make a significant portion of the gig economy workforce. According to data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Black and Latino individuals account for 42% of those doing app-based works, primarily Uber and Lyft.
With less need for contracted workers, those making livings off these flexible gigs may need to pursue other service roles in the near future.
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