Technological Breakthroughs - Tesla, iPhone, and AI Revolution
Will Tesla become the largest company by 2050? Is Artificial Intelligence a revolution or a joke? Why do I think of early iPhones when I think of Tesla?
Prediction: Tesla is going to be huge
Tesla. You either love or hate it—their cars, CEO, and stock. I happen to "like" them.
It's hard to love four-wheeled appliances and an eccentric billionaire, but you can like and respect them.
A friend was buying his first Tesla a couple of years ago and invited me along. After the test drive and a talk with the salesman about the user experience of owning a Tesla, I realized something.
Tesla will take over the market, and it won't be even close
I’m talking about a scenario in which every second or third car in the Western Hemisphere is a Tesla.
Did I like the car that much? No. It's a great family car, but there is nothing sexy, manly, or emotional about Tesla. Since I'm a petrolhead, I was left colder than after an ice bath. It's meh, and OMG, how I hate their puritan interiors with no buttons!
Would I have it? In a heartbeat. It's a logical choice if an electric vehicle fits your lifestyle and you have somewhere to plug it.
The iPhone moment
The feeling I got from my first tangible contact with a Tesla was similar to when I bought my first iPhone. I instantly knew there was no turning back.
Remember, back in those days, the market was ruled by Motorolas, Nokias, and Blackberries. I rocked all of them and loved mini-computers in my pocket, from Qtecks and HPs to qwerty keyboard-integrated monsters.
Once you got your hands on an iPhone, you were transported into a modern era. The smoothness of the user interface, the looks, the graphics, and the app store had no competition at the time.
Phones used to be about making calls and sending short messages. Now, they're mini supercomputers in our pockets, connected to the world, cameras, audio players, gaming consoles, navigation systems, and so much more. In no small part, thanks to Steve Jobs’s vision.
iPhones took over the market like a storm
Most of their early competitors don't even exist anymore. Even the almighty Nokia! Take it as a reminder of how fast things can change, and even the mightiest of mighty can fall into the nostalgic annals of time.
I hate to say it, but the first signs of trouble for the “standard” automotive industry are already showing, especially in Germany. Tesla and Chinese cars are chewing gums and kicking ass. Unfortunately, the Eurocrats have again taken the wrong approach in fighting it, focusing on regulation instead of innovation.
Why Tesla’s are the (r)evolution
Tesla is not a “car company,” and it doesn't even pretend to be one. It's an IT company that happens to build cars.
The average car user experience is the following:
You fuel your car at petrol stations.
The vehicle has a billion moving parts, all needing attention, servicing, and care.
They are loud, stinky, and expensive to produce and maintain.
You buy your car in person, at a dealership.
You must regularly service your car, and it’s expensive.
Your car is independent of your other technology.
You drive your car.
Here's the Tesla car user experience:
You plug your car into a wall socket or charging station at home, like a phone, before bedtime.
The car is made of the minimum possible moving parts, essentially a fancy LEGO car.
While being as powerful as the fastest supercars, it costs less than city superminis to maintain and run!
You order your car online and pick it up.
There is no servicing schedule. You lift the hood, and there is nothing there besides a blue cover for the washer fluid.
Your car is integrated with your smartphone.
Tesla's Autopilot is attempting to solve the problem of autonomous driving. You will no longer have to drive the car; the car will drive you.
Then there are all the ideas around using your Tesla to work for you when you're not using it, as it chauffeurs people around, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
I am not at all surprised that Tesla has been the best-selling car in many countries, despite its costly price, just like the iPhone. Yes, the governments, with their Green agenda, help here, but it seems rather inevitable anyway.
Bonus points:
Tesla built the biggest and best charger infrastructure in the world. Plug and play has a new meaning.
Tesla robots and other contraptions could create an ecosystem similar to the Apple ecosystem, only levels above.
AI revolution is here
I got that same spider tingle when I first started using Chat GPT and other AI tools more seriously. Yes, AI, such as it is, is a flawed product and a shadow of what we imagined it would be. But we're incredibly early. Do you honestly believe that we will:
Ever go back to a pre-AI era and stop using artificial intelligence?
Never develop further, most likely beyond anything we can imagine at the moment.
I remember searching the web way back in 1995 over a dial-up network, where a picture of a topless lady would take 30 minutes to reveal her charms. That, too, was a revolution. The internet. Most found it irrelevant, and look at us now.
They had a good run - search engines
Google reigned supreme for a long time, and there was seemingly no end to its domination. I recently read that more people use AI than Google search (in certain circles). I am one of them.
Even if you hate it, technological advancement cannot be stopped, nor should it be, in my humble opinion. Yes, there are traps and downsides, but that is true for all things.
I see AI, robots, and autonomous transportation taking over
I don't know what life will look like in 50 years, but the difference will be unimaginably larger than the difference between 2024 and 1974.
In one possible future, Tesla will be one of the biggest winners, and rightfully so. The signs are all there.
We’ll also have robot friends, workers, and lovers, and artificial intelligence will be so integrated into our lives that we won’t know how we ever lived without it.
No, I don’t believe it will be the end of humanity, but the next step in the evolution. Artificial intelligence might just be the thing that saves us.
Disclaimer: No, I don’t own an iPhone, a Tesla, or their stocks. But I would, on all accounts, if the budget allowed.
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