I see this developing in a similar way to PV Solar.
Initially PV solar was so expensive that it was only economic in very remote off-grid locations. As it was being installed in more and more remote locations, manufacturing volumes increased and the PV modules became cheaper until eventually they were competitive even in grid applications.
Likewise, autonomous driving technology has already crept into some specialist applications. Like you mention mines, and simpler things like trains and to some extent aeroplanes and shipping. All the while, the technology is improving and with each new installation volumes increase and costs of the automation come down.
At some stage, as we get to mass production, the change will accelerate rapidly...
