Autonomy

Even as an introduction to autonomy this is an hour and a half documentary that barely scratches the surface. It doesn't go into any details behind the various technologies and just glosses over the massive implications of this inevitable transformation that is just a few years away from becoming mainstream. Granted, it's 2019 and several companies have made leaps of progress since then. A person that's learning about the topic for the first time would be dissuaded from the idea due to the bias of the narrative from some of the interviewees as they paint it as giving up personal control or freedom.

A good movie (documentary or otherwise) understands that it has ten minutes to convince you that it's going to show you something new. This is not a good movie. The first ten minutes consist of telling you ten versions of things you and every other audience member already know. Many people love cars? Many people love driving? But driving in cities is horrible?YES I KNOW ALL OF THESE THINGS.

The late Martin Mayer had very cruel (but valid) things to say about documentaries, that the only people who watched them were prisoners and the not very smart, because intelligent people had no patience with such a slow delivery of new information. This documentary validates every aspect of Mayer's thesis, and shows a production team who have learned nothing since Mayer made his remark fifty years ago. (Compare, eg, long form television, which *has* learned how to create demanding, non-time-wasting, fare for demanding adults.)

'Autonomy' offers a smart, quickly-paced overview of where autonomous driving technology stands today, and asks big questions about where the technology may lead us in the future. Rather than taking a stance for or against autonomous driving, the film offers insight from a comprehensive lineup of industry experts, while weaving in some of the history of autonomous driving in both science and in pop culture. Whatever your interest in cars, technology, and driving, 'Autonomy' sheds light on something that is sure change our world as we know it.

If you've never read a book by Malcolm Gladwell, then you just don't understand how rational and logical and eminently correct the man is regarding just about everything. His documentary Autonomy gives the viewer many things to consider. High caliber experts weighing in, fascinating history and meaningful connections.

Autonomy was warmly-received at its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film was produced in cooperation with Car and Driver Magazine and has done an excellent job of providing a serious examination of the many (almost endless) questions that are raised by development of self-driving vehicles. They raise many provocative questions about the economics, political, legal, safety, cost, ethical implications, and cultural reverberations. They seriously examine what driverless vehicles will mean. Of course, they can not answer all these questions, but just asking them is a significant step forward. The film moves rapidly and is highly engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to think seriously about this really important technological development that is likely to have immense implications on daily lives in the next decade or so.