“Autonomous” vehicles today aren’t truly autonomous. They’re too reliant on detailed maps and outside data in situations where a human can rely on their brain and a set of fairly primitive sensors.

A truly autonomous car should be able to drive from L.A. to New York, taking local roads on occasion, while using maps with a similar level of detail as is available on Google Maps on any smartphone and its own sensors to read road markings, see vehicle positions, and detect signs and lights.