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THE FIRST SELF-DRIVING car has yet to be released commercially, but a new patent could see Google turn some of them into ad-powered taxis.
The patent would allow advertisers to offer customers a free or discounted trip to their stores if they use its self-driving cars.
It would use an algorithm to help decide which stores would be advertised to people.
The algorithm would take into account factors such as the person’s location, the route they are most likely to take and type of transportation used, the price competing advertisers are willing to pay for the consumer to be delivered to other locations when displaying the ads, and the potential profit it will make.
Ordering one would be done either through your smartphone – which can detect the person’s location – or through a special kiosk. The user may enter identifying information at the kiosk and select whether an self-driving car would pick them up and bring them to an advertised location.
A person’s buying history would be taken into consideration as well. If you take up advertisers on their offer a number of times, but don’t purchase anything, advertisers mightn’t offer you a journey the next time.
The patent also mentions people could tell the service who they’re travelling with so they will see more appropriate offers. For example, if you’re bringing your family out for dinner, the service will highlight suitable business locations for you.
If the service is created, it could help services such as cinemas and restaurants bring more people to their place of business.
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Use Johnny’s Cabs
U gotta love automation…Recent study found that by 2034 47% of all current jobs will be automated. Wonder how that’ll turn out.
sure they’ll have to create a war in order to get rid of the unemployed, now when did that happen before…………..i got it, 1914.
In the future, Google will be like By N Large in the film Wall-e!
A taxi with no driver boring me shitless about the ‘state of the economy’ and how ‘non nationals are taking all the jobs.’ Sounds like bliss.
If you think we’re boring you have to listen to the rubbish that customers spout in taxis, drunk or sober! :)
Google need to step off with this nonsense.
You’re right! Innovation is bad and must be stopped!
Cpm how is this inovating? They’re crow barring a way to make revenue from ads so that you’ll be a lazy ass and get driven to the shop. Being a slave to advertising is not innovation. Being a slave to Tesco etc. is not innovation.
I think I’ll stick to using a normal car with a noisy carburetted petrol engine and a 4 speed manual gearbox. I see enough fecking ads in a day.
Driving offers a nice escape from the ads, or at least it will when they finally ban those trailers parked by the side of the road
And ban radios, and ban billboards, basically all out door media, like the adverts on buses etc…
If it was not for innovation you wouldn’t have a car in the first place!
Good for the pub
If you make a purchase en route will it deliver you to the package?
They’ll just be used for sex
How about Non-Human Operated Vehicle. A lot of what is on the road at the moment might as well be driverless.
When did innovation become all about advertising??
Sad day for Google.
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