“Seriously ... the current paradigm is a bunch of independently controlled vehicles each with a very powerful guidance computer, recieving data from very high resolution 3D imaging system and a remarkably sophisticated attitude and environmental monitoring system, operating a thoroughly integrated set of route planning, collision avoidance, and environmental adjustment algorighms.”
Cheaper to just put a human behind the wheel.
Drones have very limited capability in the military. They have none on the highways, and I’d cheerfully bet that won’t change in 12 years...
That's what I just described. ;'}
OTOH, what's the cost to raise a human from zygote to fully trained driver?