[ceejayoz]

As the flash crash showed, if you screw up enough in the market, they'll just hit the reset button and undo the trades.

The same isn't true for cars, and that'll likely affect the code testing process.

Plus, if you're going to reference the flash crash, I'll point out that people, not computers, caused the Great Depression.

[freehunter]

That's a good point. For every Flash Crash we've seen, how many human-error market crashes have there been? For every algorithmic auto crash that could ever happen, how many human-error auto crashes have there already been? Just 24 hours ago I had to go pick up my girlfriend from the side of the road after someone swerved into her car after not looking in his mirrors. The complaint that algorithms might cause an unintended car crash so we should continue to only have people behind the wheel rings a bit hollow when people-driven cars is one of the biggest killers in Western society.

[yummyfajitas]

...people, not computers, caused the Great Depression.

Not to mention the flash crash...

http://www.sec.gov/news/studies/2010/marketevents-report.pdf

[darkarmani]

Actually, I'd say that the way people currently drive, at least from the mid-atlantic to the north east, is more likely to cause a "flash" crash than a non-emotional computer algorithm. (I'm looking at you, CT drivers, and the 95/287/turnpike/GSP area)