I Have Seen Future of Physical AI in West Texas: Thomas Black

I was in West Texas recently to witness firsthand the emerging practical applications of artificial intelligence. What I saw bolstered my conviction about the technology’s progress and the need to mold it rather than resist the change.

At the intersection of one of those dusty, gravel-covered roads that pepper the Permian Basin oil fields, a truck that would not be out of place on any American highway made a wide turn to account for the two trailers it was hauling. That’s a normal sight in these parts, but what wasn’t normal was that nobody was in the cab.

Driverless trucks are hauling sand.

Photographer: Thomas Black/Bloomberg

Here, Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. ...