Warren Buffett says autonomous vehicles could "hurt" Berkshire Hathaway

Warren Buffett says autonomous vehicles could "hurt" Berkshire Hathaway

The Oracle of Omaha sees autonomous cars and trucks as a potential threat to Berkshire Hathaway's future business.

Like GearBrain on Facebook

Buffett speaks Warren Buffett is paying close attention to autonomous technology making its way into cars and trucks—and believes the A.I. could one day impact the bottom line for Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio of investments. Buffett spoke about his concerns at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting on Saturday, specifically seeing autonomous trucks, for example, as "...a lot more of a threat than an opportunity," said Buffett, according to Fortune.

Buffett is chairman, and the largest of shareholder, of Berkshire Hathaway which has, among its holdings, the railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Self-driving trucks, which are being explored by companies including Uber and Tesla, would substantially reduce the costs associated with the business by not having to pay drivers. Buffett's concern is autonomous vehicles would offer cheaper freight options than railroad, which would in turn hurt his investments.

Although Buffett believes this scenario is sometime away, perhaps 20 years, his track record indicates that he is going to watch the autonomous vehicle industry—closely.

Whirlpool's recipesWhirlpool is buying digital recipe platform Yummly—and potentially a way to start making its connected kitchen devices more useful to consumers. Already, smart home product makers are pushing the idea of kitchen gadgets and appliances that do much more than keep your milk cold, such as refrigerators that can be peered into while you're at the grocery store. Linking recipe to appliances could be one direction Whirlpool is considering.

Google hack The phishing hack that hit Google Doc users last week appears to be shut down. But if you're concerned you were caught, or you'd like to make sure your account is locked down and clear, we have seven steps you can take right now. It's certainly worth a look.


Like GearBrain on Facebook
The Conversation (0)

GearBrain Compatibility Find Engine

A pioneering recommendation platform where you can research, discover, buy, and learn how to connect and optimize smart devices.

Join our community! Ask and answer questions about smart devices and save yours in My Gear.

Top Stories

Weekly Deals