[cdrake]

Uber isn't an on demand ride service. They're a logistics company. Also uber isn't waiting for autonomous vehicles to come along and save them, they're one of the industry leaders in developing autonomous systems, investing/acquiring autonomous systems, and collect more driver/vehicle data than any other company in the world. It's not just civilian transportation either. They've already launched an autonomous commercial shipping service. If there is an item, person, or service that could potentially need to be transported from point A to B, it's a safe to assume that Uber has already started collecting logistics data on it and will(or already has) raise funds to begin implementing a network to service said logistical situation. This all may sound a bit extreme at first glance, but look at amazon. Amazon isn't a revolutionary e-commerce market place, they're a revolutionary logistics company. It's the same story as uber just in a different phase. Years of massive losses and outside funding. Both companies fully understand the value/defensibility of heavily investing in operational logistics at massive scale.