Nothing will make you hate humans—capricious, volatile, unplanned, erratic humans—like sitting in the back of self-driving car. When I hitched a ride in one, a white and orange General Motors Cruise autonomous vehicle during a press event in San Francisco on Tuesday, every movement was a cause for alarm. Two walkers darted out in front of the car during my roughly 20-minute, 3-mile ride, blissfully ignorant that they were trusting their lives to a piece of software.

The latest in-depth coverage covering the intersection of technology and culture. WIRED’s award-winning journalism will help you make sense of a world in constant transformation. Join us as we explore the ways technology is changing our lives.