Comment by 29athrowaway | Hacker News Reader

Comment by 29athrowaway | Hacker News Reader

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Humans not only use vision, they use sensor fusion. Combining what you see, hear, touch, etc. Your body can perceive acceleration, for example.

On top of that, you have theory of mind. For example, you have 4 cars next to you, all of them with opaque windows that do not let you see the driver:

A) a loud sports car with a bunch of modifications, decals and racing related stuff

B) a grandma car with cat related stickers

C) an unmaintained car with collision damage, and loud music coming from it

D) a family station wagon with a baby on board sticker and other family related stuff

Your mind will process what it sees and quickly assign each one of those cars a different personality. A and C will likely be perceived as riskier cars, B and D will be likely perceived as safer cars. You will avoid A and C and remain unconcerned about B and D.

The problem with the self-driving cars right now is that they only perceive the road as bodies that move.

Great point. We use far more than just vision.

I just imagined myself driving without sound. That seems crazy to me. I need to hear cars, kids playing, etc.

And you're right that we subconsciously assign risk values to each car. A heavily modified BMW with decals? Could be an irresponsible young male adult trying to show off on the road. I should probably be prepared to brake or let him go first.

And assumption like that are probably a great source of accidents, our mind needs to take some shortcuts like that and isn't always right. Grandmas car got sold last week and daddy is alone in the car and late for work and will be racing to get in front of you.

I'd rather have a computer keep track of everybody just the same but with millisecond reaction to all changes. Something that I can't do lacking eyes all around and processing power.

Those shortcuts are the reason you exist. Without them, your ancestors would have been eaten.

Reminds me when I drove a cab in my early 20s. I had a psychological bead on other drivers, I knew what they were going to do before they knew it. (And to some extent I still do, I just try not to be a dick about it.)

AI will probably eventually very good at picking up these behavior tendencies. Or at least better than the people who aren't driving all day.

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