For me, the entire reason for being excited about these developments is the hope that we'll reach fully autonomous ("level 5" autonomy) vehicles, as that will be game-changing. No more need for driving ed or licenses, mobility for younger, older and disabled people, cheap autonomous taxis, being able to take a car home after drinking, etc.

If we never see a car that can actually drive itself without human intervention, I will be severely disappointed. All that work and hype just for some driving assistance systems?