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I took my first self-driving ride last night. One of the wildest parts was watching the steering wheel and hearing the pedals move on their own.

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I wonder if something makes the wheel turn which actually turns the car. Or is the wheel just a visual indicator.

Most cars still have some aspect of mechanical coupling between the steering wheel and the front wheels in case of electrical failure. There are some cars that have had "steer by wire", but it's still very uncommon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_by_wire#Steer_by_wire

I think it's notable that Steer by Wire on Infiniti Q50 was a reverted change: users apparently wanted anti-torques and vibrations from steering as a cue/driving input.

I would not own a car that was steer-by-wire because of the risk of electrical failure.

I've had electrical failure in a car before. The alternator died and wouldn't produce enough power at under 2000 rpm. My stereo and lights were flickering and engine was sputtering. In a steer-by-wire system, I'd have lost my steering. I'm just glad I was driving a stick shift, giving me more control over engine speeds so I was able to make it home and not have to get a tow.

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