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Uber Self-Driving Car

by Alexis Long-Am
In December 2016, Uber releases their first self-driving vehicle. Possibly taking over the jobs of Uber drivers.
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Opinion: Uber Expands Its Self-Driving Car Service to San Francisco
By: Mike Isaac, The New York Times
Uber is an American worldwide online transportation network company app that started in San Francisco, California. It was founded by Travis Kalanick in 2009 and company received $200,000 in seed funding, but soon was worth over $45 million in 2011. The app enables a passenger to get picked up at any location and get transportation for point A to B. When a pickup is submitted, the software program alerts the nearest uber driver to your location. The uber driver that picks you up in their personal car. The app then calculates the fare and transfers the payment the driver. There are no cash exchanges and no hidden fees, this is super convenient for both drivers and customers. As of August 2016, Uber has been serviced in over 66 countries and 507 cities worldwide. According to the Business Insider, Uber created over $20,000 new jobs per month and powering billions in economic impact in cities around the world, while also improve the environment, fueling the urban environment. and most importantly reducing DUI rates. According The Washington Post, the company sys the median salary for an UberX working at least 40 hours a week is about $90,766 a year in New York City and $74,191 in San Francisco and the average cab driver makes about $30,000 per year. Uber drivers are able to work whenever they want; they just turn on their app and get an automatic notification when a passenger needs to be picked up.

In February 2015, Uber has announced to collaborate with Carnegie Mellon on establishing the Uber Advanced Technologies Center, a research center to develop self-driving vehicles. As of December 2016, they have made their first self-driving Volvo XC90 SUVs in San Francisco, California. According to the Mike Isaac from The New York Times, “the company has started offering its self-driving car service to passengers here, making it the second place in the world where Uber offers autonomous vehicles for public use”. The car is based on laser beams, wireless technology and equipped with seven different cameras. Uber’s vice president of self-driving technology, Anthony Levandowski said, “the promise of self-driving is core to our mission of reliable transportation, everywhere for everyone” (Isaac).

I have always been a fan of the Uber app because it provides convenient pickups at anytime and makes jobs available. Uber’s slogans are Evolving the way the world moves and Where lifestyles meets logistics. This message is beyond just ride sharing, as a company they are growing in technology and making it more convenient for the people. The establishment of the self-driving car could put all the Uber drivers part-time job at risk. According to CNN, “Uber has 600,000 drivers in the United States and 1.5 million around the world. But experts in robotics and automation see these driving jobs as on the chopping block. Such roles won't last in a world where computers and robots are rapidly getting smarter and faster”. Jobs are disappearing everywhere, because of the constant update of technology. For example, self-checkout cashiers at grocery stores, camera automated tolls when crossing the Golden Gate bridge, phone operators are replaced by machines, and much more. We must stay ahead of technology, focus on how you can embrace technology and not allow it to take over your life.



Work Cited
Isaac, Mike. "Uber Expands Its Self-Driving Car Service to San Francisco." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 13 Dec. 2016. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

McFarland, Matt. "Is Uber's Push for Self-driving Cars a Job Killer?" CNNMoney. Cable
News Network, 18 Aug. 2016. Web. 1 Dec. 2016.

Uber. "Finding the Way Creating Possibilities for Riders, Drivers, and Cities." Uber-Our
Story. Uber, 1 Dec. 2016. Web. 1 Dec. 2016.
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