Imagine being able to play with a Google driverless car inside the fictional world of the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) video game. Well one YouTuber has done just that.
PizzaForBreakfast (who did not wish to disclose his real name) hacked GTA to include the pod-shaped Google car mowing down pedestrians, telling CNBC the idea was a satire on what could go wrong when new technology is released too early.
"Technology makes our lives infinitely easier and it's an exciting age to be alive. But it's both a blessing and a curse. At some point, every brand new smart phone crashes, every top of the line computer needs to be updated, every outdated fax machine is replaced by a super deluxe wireless bluetooth all-in-one printer. And I think the idea for the video came from that," PizzaForBreakfast told CNBC by email.
"Cars are already a feat in engineering, but that's not enough - now we want cars to drive themselves. So while companies are racing to be the first to provide the 'latest and greatest,' I thought it'd be funny to imagine what could go wrong if Google released their self-driving car prototype a little prematurely."
PizzaForBreakfast overlaid audio from an ABCNews report and used GTA's in-game filming function to make the clip. He also installed "mods" – open source pieces of code – to modify the game to include the Google Car. The video has so far racked up over 200,000 views.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC.
The search giant has been testing self-driving cars in several sites across the U.S. So far, they have done over 1.5 million miles of autonomous driving collectively. Google is also looking at ways to commercialize its technology. Last week, Google struck a deal with Fiat Chrysler to build 100 self-driving minivans.