Keller @ Large: Human Flaws Interfering With Technology

BOSTON (CBS) - "Being smart is not a career," I once heard a friend of mine say about someone who was very bright but not good at social relationships.

And boy is that ever true about the whiz kids at Google who are trying to perfect driverless car technology.

According to the New York Times, their project has hit a snag.

"Last month, as one of Google's self-driving cars approached a crosswalk, it did what it was supposed to do when it slowed to allow a pedestrian to cross, prompting it…to apply the brakes. The pedestrian was fine, but not so much Google's car, which was hit from behind by a human-driven sedan."

Imagine that! The other guy was the problem.

"Researchers in the fledgling field of autonomous vehicles say that one of the biggest challenges facing automated cars is blending them into a world in which humans don't behave by the book."

Imagine that.

This is not just a problem with cars.

Look at the trouble our leaders have designing an effective foreign policy in a world where irrational behavior by the other guys – and, sometimes, by us – is not exactly unheard-of.

And anyone who drives in our wonderful local traffic understands that at least half the battle is dealing with other drivers – the distracted, the disgruntled, the flat-out clueless who make Boston-area driving a white-knuckle exercise.

Perhaps one day in the future, spiffy new technology will be created that will overcome human flaws.

Or, maybe, not.

In fact, as a lifelong Boston driver, I'm betting on not.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News weeknights at 11 p.m.

Email Jon at keller@wbztv.com or reach him on Twitter @kelleratlarge.