Trucking Company Deploys Self-Driving 18-Wheeler Where Human Employee Can Chill Out and Watch YouTube Videos in the Back as It Bombs Down the Highway

Last month, Aurora Innovation became the first company to operate a fully driverless semi truck service on American highways. And by "fully driverless," we mean that no one — not a soul — was sitting in the driver's seat as the autonomous truck performed its first official delivery, barreling down a stretch of Texas's Interstate 45 with its 25,000 pound haul of frozen treats in tow. There was, in fact, zero human supervision. At least, not unless your idea of supervision is a man lounged in the back of the truck's cabin, watching YouTube videos on his phone, as the other suckers on the road were probably focused on not falling victim to one the country's most noted motorist death traps. "I may be in the truck, but I'm just a passenger," wrote Aurora CEO Chris Urmson in a writeup about his backseat experience during the truck's inaugural haul. "I'm passing the time by chatting with our team, drafting this blog, and watching YouTube." Urmson considered the feat to be a "watershed mom ... Read full article.