One of the most common potential scenarios involving autonomous cars is using them as driverless taxis; both Uber and Lyft have made self-driving cars a big part of their future strategies. The possibility of hopping into a ride without a driver just got a little closer, at least in California -- as spotted by The Verge, California approved two new autonomous driving programs last week that let companies charge fares for autonomous rides. The two new programs are the "Drivered Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Program" and the "Driverless Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Program," both of which allow approved participants to offer "passenger service, shared rides, and accept monetary compensation for rides in autonomous vehicles." Naturally, interested companies need to get the necessary permits and show the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that they're taking the proper safety measure. They'll need to get a AV Deployment Permit from California's DMV as well as one of two permits issued by CPUC.

Once autonomous cars can routinely take over the monotonous, minute-to-minute responsibilities of actually driving, what are their human passengers supposed to do with themselves? Well, if Intel has any say, people will spend their trips being immersed in interactive fantasy lands. To that end, Intel announced on Wednesday at the 2017 LA Auto Show that it will partner with Warner Bros. to develop "in-cabin, immersive experiences in autonomous vehicle (AV) settings," according to the company's press release. Essentially, not only will passengers be able to watch movies, TV shows or play games on their mobile devices while their autonomous vehicles are driving, they'll eventually engage with fully immersive VR and AR experiences as well. "For example, a fan of the superhero Batman could enjoy riding in the Batmobile through the streets of Gotham City, while AR capabilities render the car a literal lens to the outside world," Intel CEO Brian Krzanich wrote, "enabling passengers to view advertising and other discovery experiences."