What's the Scariest Thing About Driverless Cars? Hint: It's Not the Price. Autonomous vehicles will kill your dreaded commute -- that is, if you're not too nervous to let them.

By Jake Leary

This story originally appeared on PCMag

Andrzej Wojcicki/Science Photo Library | Getty Images

Stop me if you've had this fantasy: You're sitting in the front seat of your car as it speeds down a highway, your feet planted on the floor, hands resting in your lap. Maybe soft jazz plays, pausing only so your David Attenborough sound-alike self-driving car can give you your estimated arrival time.

But for me, this divine daydream usually ends abruptly and dramatically -- my car's dashboard goes dark and I plow into a semi-trailer, or a hacked AI vehicle sideswipes me, knocking my lateral mirror into a ditch.

Apparently, I'm not alone. A PCMag survey on future technology polled 2,016 people and included questions about STEM toys, artificial intelligence, and driverless cars; 45 percent said safety concerns and technology failures were their biggest fears with autonomous vehicles.

We hear about driverless cars most often when they crash -- and even when it's unclear whether the driver or AI is to blame, a few fatal accidents are enough to reinforce our worst fears. It's one thing to trust an AI to curate your workout playlist; it's another to trust one with your life.

Cost and hacking threats took the next spots on the list of concerns at 16 and 15 percent, respectively. While it's true exorbitant prices still plague the industry (Lidaralone can add more than $75,000 to a car's sticker price), hacking isn't as common as you may think. And corporate data misuse (8 percent), infrastructure issues (7 percent), and job loss (7 percent) rounded out the poll.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Business News

This ChatGPT Agent Predicted a Viral Trend in 15 Minutes — Then My Content Took Off

Most creators are still guessing what to post. I used ChatGPT's new Agent to predict what would go viral — and it took off in just 48 hours.

Buying / Investing in Business

From a $120M Acquisition to a $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Buying / Investing in Business

Big Investors Are Betting on This 'Unlisted' Stock

You can join them as an early-stage investor as this company disrupts a $1.3T market.