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Model Y electric vehicles are parked in the early morning in a parking lot outside the plant of the US electric car manufacturer Tesla. Photo: Patrick Pleul / DPA / dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP
Driverless cars are no longer the thing of sci-fi movies, with California significantly expanding their use - and facing harsh criticism in the process.
The state of California has passed a ruling which allows taxi companies 'Cruise' and 'Waymo' to offer autonomous rides, 24/7.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised Tesla robotaxis by the end of 2024, and Uber and Lyft are also considering how they break into the market.
Autonomous vehicles did not exist when the Land transport Act was introduced in 1998, however regulations work under the assumption that when a vehicle is in operation, it has a driver.
If vehicles with higher levels of automation, from three to five, were to operate here, the regulatory framework would no longer be fit for purpose.
Silicon Valley veteran and artificial intelligence expert Jerry Kaplan speaks with Kathryn Ryan.