Basketball superstar LeBron James is tired of driving.
If you count zero, there are six levels of autonomous driving that have been defined by the International Society of Automotive Engineers. As you might guess, Level Zero is when there's no automation and a driver is the one responsible for operating the vehicle. At the other end of the autonomous hierarchy is Level Five, and that's where the vehicle handles every aspect of operation.
James wants a Level Five car of his own.
Now, this spot is simply a peek at what might be possible in the future. It's from Intel and it features James being ushered into a waiting car minus the currently important detail of having a human in the driver's seat. There is no vehicle out there on the market currently capable of Level Five autonomy.
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In fact, the highest level of autonomy currently afforded to a driver on a public road is Level Two. This means you have a cruise control system that is capable of maintaining speed and its own lane. A driver could take his hands off the wheel for a moment, but he or she must always be ready to grab that wheel at a moment's notice. Your hands can come off, but your attention must remain on the road ahead.
The title of the spot above is called Fearless. We're a long way away from that idea with respect to autonomous driving though. There have been some great strides made in the space, but we're only just beginning to see the possibility of even Level Three autonomy in cars James can actually buy, even on an NBA salary.
James is an amazing floor general. He's a global superstar. Still, he should be quite fearful were he to hop into a driverless car today.
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