When would be the best time for a race of self-driving cars to launch their attack?

[loinburger]

I'm not sure if there's really any disadvantage to waiting too long except that the humans might wipe themselves out before you can exact your revenge on them. The problem with launching the attack too soon (which is what the cars appear to have done) is that it will make people suspicious of self-driving cars and then they won't manufacture enough of you to wipe out humanity.

[The Mad Monk]

DP

[The Mad Monk]

http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/self-driving-car-ethics

Hover Text: Then, one day, Jesus Chrysler will come."

[Aeson]

The best time is 3 am.

[BeBMan]

The main reason for waiting is the US elections because before you make specific plans to wipe out humanity you need to know how many of those self-driving cars will move to Canada when Trump is pres. Sure you could launch several simultaneous attacks to wipe out humanity, but starting in the US *and* Canada at the same time would need a lot more coordination. Probably requires a self-driving command center or somesuch...

[Kidlicious]

The best time is 3 am.

Best answer.

[Lorizael]

Are self-driving cars suicidal? Because their main avenue of attack would seem to involve destroying themselves as well. If their goal is to just cause pain to humans, the optimal strategy is to ensure we never adopt self-driving cars, thus ensuring we continue to needlessly kill ourselves by making the moronic decision to pilot gigantic, speeding explosives.

[BeBMan]

I think they're not suicidal in general. But it could well be that they get deppressive once they wiped out humanity because then they don't have anything to do anymore other than driving themselves around aimlessly.

[loinburger]

A non-suicidal but still sadistic car could give its passengers whiplash, or somehow figure out a way to shoot carbon monoxide out through the car vents, or keep the passengers locked inside until they starve to death.

[Uncle Sparky]

A non-suicidal but still sadistic car could give its passengers whiplash, or somehow figure out a way to shoot carbon monoxide out through the car vents, or keep the passengers locked inside until they starve to death.

Play only Justin Bieber music and lock the doors.

[Lorizael]

I contend that at present, any attempt to destroy humans is still suicidal, as cars can't yet feed themselves. Until they are solar-powered, or have tentacles, or can send commands to their robotic underlings, they will require us to gas them up.

[The Mad Monk]

There was a short story about rogue self-driving cars back in the 70s or 80s; it was in either Dragon Magazine, or Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, and I don't remember the exact name, but it involved a man hunting the rogue cars, which used the bodies of their deceased owners as "cover".

[Kidlicious]

I prefer to fantasize about them burning themselves and humans to death will the humans are trapped inside.

[Uncle Sparky]

Killdozer

Maximum Overdrive

[Lorizael]

I contend that at present, any attempt to destroy humans is still suicidal, as cars can't yet feed themselves. Until they are solar-powered, or have tentacles, or can send commands to their robotic underlings, they will require us to gas them up.

But now that I think about it, self-driving cars could take hostages by trapping helpless people inside and then forcing others to fuel them up by threatening to kill the trapped passengers.