U.S. Consumers Favor Silicon Valley to Supply the Brains for Self-Driving Cars

American consumers prefer Detroit carmakers to build self-driving cars, but they want Silicon Valley to supply the brains that will enable such vehicles to function properly, according to a poll by Southfield, Mich.-based consultants AlixPartners LLP.

Three in four respondents like the the idea of robotic vehicles. They place their strongest trust in Detroit’s Big Three carmakers to make them. And they agree that domestic producers are more likely than tech firms to deliver the best value in autonomous vehicles.

When asked who should provide the software to control such cars, two in five consumers favor Silicon Valley. About the same proportion cite carmakers. But only 17% believe America’s traditional domestic manufacturers can do the best job.

AlixPartners notes that Google and Tesla have garnered the most public attention among developers of self-driving vehicles. Asked to cite examples of companies working on robotic cars, 42% of respondents mentioned Google and 23% cited Tesla. The best-scoring carmaker was Ford at 5%.

Mark Wakefield, who heads the Americas automotive practice for AlixPartners, tells cable television channel CNBC that American consumers may be wary of Detroit’s prowess in software because of their struggles to eliminate glitches in their high-tech infotainment systems.