Killer Robot Cars: Not A Bad Movie, But The Future Of Terrorism

By David Gewirtz

So here’s the situation. You’ve worked hard and made enough money to buy yourself a shiny new Tesla. You’ve even ponied up somewhere on the order of $10,000 extra dollars to get the super-secret FSD (full self-driving) add-on. Now, you can sit back and let your car take you wherever you want to go, as if you have a robot chauffeur behind the wheel.

Maybe you’re cruising down the 101 in Silicon Valley. You’re coming home late so traffic is a little lighter. Or you’re relying on the self-driving functionality as you barrel along Route 95, letting the car get you through all those complex interchanges outside of Washington DC. Or maybe you’re just enjoying the view as your Tesla takes you on a winding road tour of Big Sur via Highway 1.

Sure, you’re trusting your life to an AI. But it’s a Tesla AI, and presumably by the time you put your life in the digital hands of a cybernetic vehicle, the kinks have been worked out of the system. Hundreds (and maybe by this time, thousands) of people have been using FSD with no mishaps. Or at least none that have been so bad they’ve been publicized.

But you are a person of some notability. Perhaps you’re a senior member of America’s military or you’re a key player in some government agency or another. Or perhaps, you’re a high-profile technology executive in Silicon Valley. Or maybe you’re just a wealthy player in the entertainment industry.
For our scenario, it doesn’t really matter what you do. All you need to...