California recently issued permits to Google, Audi and Mercedes to test 29 self-driving vehicles on any public road in the state. These cars are self-driving, but not driver-less. Licensed drivers approved by California will be in the cars at all times as backups in case the technology fails. This may look like the beginning of a new world of driving, but are they safer? After all, these vehicles are still just machines run by computers.

This week on Money Talking, host Charlie Herman talks with Cardiff Garcia from the Financial Times and Will Knight from the MIT Technology Review to get a reality check about self-driving cars and what it means for the economy, the auto industry and for us.