Home Jeeves!

In the nearly two and a half years since I wrote Have You Heard of ChatGPT? (January 2023), the artificial intelligence (AI) world has changed dramatically.

Most recently in Is There a Robot Butler in Your Future?, I wrote how humanoid robots from several different companies from around the world are nearly ready to “live” among us.

Now, the third leg of the AI stool is nearly upon us.

Full self-driving (FSD) automotive technology is part engineering and part AI. FSD isn’t a new thing though. Its earliest concepts began in the 2000s. The technology began to advance more rapidly with the advent of more sophisticated software and, especially, computer hardware.

Tesla became one of the leaders in FSD technology, by placing FSD with limited capabilities in its cars. Each successive version of their FSD had greater autonomy and the refinement continued.

Presently the Tesla FSD is available in a car you can buy. The current version requires that you supervise the operation of the car in FSD mode. This supervision means that the driver must keep their hands on the wheel. Cameras inside the car monitor the driver’s eye movements to ensure they are engaged and not napping or reading a book.

Up to now, FSD hasn’t come cheap. Tesla charges $8K or you can get a subscription for $200 a month.

Ok you say, so what? Mr. Fancypants rich guy can plunk down 8 big ones plus another $45-110K for the car. That’s not me. Why should I care?

Well, your time may soon come.

Last October Tesla unveiled its Cybercab, a two-seater electric car with FSD.

See the steering wheel? Right, it doesn’t have one. FSD makes a steering wheel obsolete.

Recently, Tesla announced that its Cybercab is nearly ready for limited trials. The first location selected is Austin Texas where 10 or 20 Cybercabs will be put in service this month.

Tesla expects the Cybercab to have limited retail availability in 2025 with production ramping up in 2026-27.

The cost? $30,000. Hmmm, affordable.

So, as a cab, how would Cybercab work? Cybercab operates as a taxi by autonomously ferrying passengers via Tesla’s ride-hailing app, using unsupervised FSD. Owners can make money by adding their Cybercab to the Robotaxi network, potentially earning $30,000 a year per vehicle.

Sweet.

In Is There a Robot Butler in Your Future? one of the humanoid robots I highlighted was the Tesla Optimus. So, here’s another money-making idea. Overnight while you’re sleeping and there aren’t too many calls for taxis, your Optimus robot could climb into your Cybercab and make package deliveries for Amazon, UPS, etc. The Cybercab ferries Optimus to a delivery address and Optimus drops the package at the front door. You could make money while you sleep!

* * *

There’s more to this than making money though.

Imagine buying a Cybercab for your elderly mother who can no longer drive. Think of the independence this could give her. Can’t drive your kids to school? Let the Cybercab do it. Had one too many at the office Xmas party? Cybercab will get you home without a DUI.

I especially like that last one.