Driverless cars have been licensed in several states but are not yet legal in Kentucky. However, as technology advances, it is looking likely that soon you will be able to sit completely still on Nicholasville Road and let a robot alternate accelerating and suddenly stopping for you. As scientists at Google and Tesla make developments in personal vehicles, a group of innovators in Lexington are testing and preparing to have driverless construction cranes manning the CentrePointe construction site by the year 2024.

“We’re still claiming that the construction project is nearing completion,” said CentrePointe spokesperson Carl Webb. “We are towing the company line and still telling folks that the CentrePointe hotel will be ready in time for the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games, as promised. However, we’re also getting these driverless cranes ready, just in case.”

In the presentation Webb previewed the driverless construction cranes and claimed that the autonomous cranes can be controlled via the internet, whose service will be provided by Spectrum, just to make the project a little more frustrating than necessary. “With this technology we can be getting little to no work done 24/7. “

Some worry that the cranes could become self aware and realize the meaningless of their existence and then try to finish the project themselves. Webb scoffs at the idea. “That kind of conscious decision making won’t happen in our lifetime.”