Yeah but, if I'm not mistaken, autopilot only works on highways. Self-driving in such an environment may be 'close' to a solved problem, but if we are talking about a service capable of picking people up at their door... yeah, I'm not convinced.

>I think AutoPilot will be a truly remarkable achievement — as in, approaching a watershed human achievement akin to spaceflight.

Just want to point out the irony in this statement. Ok sure, fully autonomous self driving may be a great technological achievement, but it will be an achievement that benefits rent-seeking corporations rather than humanity at large. Sure, the benefits of such a service could allow car-free living at a price cheaper than leasing/owning a car, but this is a benefit that will be reaped by those with means (middle class) while the poor will still be riding the bus or walking. It would also make investment in public transportation even less likely, which would actually result in a net benefit for all.