China is pioneering the future of automation — by turning its eyes to the skies

In China, the era of automation we’ve all been promised by science fiction films is already underway. Not only is the country investing heavily in autonomous vehicles like cars — it’s also turning its eyes to the skies.

In a recent survey, UBS found that the airline industry could save up to $35 billion by deploying pilotless planes. The technology may be particularly useful for the shipping industry, as packages are immune to risk-averseness.

“Unlike passengers, cargo is not concerned with the status of its pilots [human or autonomous],” notes UBS. “For this reason, pilotless cargo aircraft may happen more swiftly than for passengers. In addition, we believe that the 24-hour nature of much of cargo flights [often taking off or landing in the late and early hours] may be well-suited to artificial pilots — with the problems of sleeping hours less of an issue.” Read more…

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