Bill Gates' co-sign means a whole lot in the tech space.
So, when the Microsoft mogul and world's top philanthropist said that Uber is primed to take the lead in the self-driving cars' market, one can be rest assured that it was a huge declaration.
Speaking with Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber about a variety of topics in London on Wednesday, Gates seemed to be especially impressed with Uber's Research and Development on self-driving cars, giving it the edge against the competition. Hear that, Google?
Gates' exact thoughts were captured by a reporter, who attended the conversation:
When asked about the effects of digital serf-Esque platform monopoly models like Uber which turn people into an outsourcing precariat...
— Izabella Kaminska (@izakaminska) June 24, 2015
... Bill Gates said: "The real rubicon is the self driving car." And that Uber is just a reorganization of labour into a more dynamic form. — Izabella Kaminska (@izakaminska) June 24, 2015
Gates added Travis has the biggest self driving car r&d. Also noted digital firms have high r&d budgets which r not v. capital intensive
— Izabella Kaminska (@izakaminska) June 24, 2015
Gates' praises for Uber seems to validate its work with self-driving technology, including its collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University to found the Uber Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh. That's where Uber's R&D in autonomous technology takes place.
Despite Gates' validation for Uber's work, both the company and its competition, Google, have work to do in convincing the public that they need a self-driving car in the first place.
A survey earlier this month showed that only 37 percent of women expressed interest in owning a self-driving car, while 50 percent of men expressed interest. Not bad for initial numbers, but there's work to be done. Seventy-six percent of people surveyed also said that they wouldn't put a child in a driverless car during a trip alone.
Skeptical to say the least. But exciting to see the continuous advancements.
