Flying Cars Won’t Take Off Without AI–This Is Why

The Jetsons Had It Wrong.

Cover of “Science and Invention magazine” issue of 1923

We’ve all seen flying cars in movies (like the Star Wars saga) or TV shows (the Jetsons, anyone?), but having them in real life has remained elusive for decades. Is this due to technological hurdles, or is there something else?

Is it a fantasy, an ideal, or a practical innovation?

Let’s find out.

The idea of flying cars hasn’t lost its appeal for decades. I’ve seen YouTube videos on the topic with millions of views; the prompt “flying car” yields 3,830,000 results.

Why is there an enduring interest in getting aloft, not inside a plane with the seatbelt strapped on, but instead, in the freedom of a car that can lift its wheels off the ground?

We all saw amazing flying cars in , , , , and, of course, in . But we are (painfully?) aware that these are only fantasies.

Flying cars are cool, no doubt about it.

The question is: could the neck-breaking technological progress we experience in the modern world make flying cars a reality? Should it?

For the practical benefit of flying cars, consider this scenario: you are stuck in the LA car traffic at rush hour (or Austin, or…