While President Obama is driven around in armored behemoth nicknamed The Beast, John Kerry had to settle for a slightly less formidable car as he visited California to meet technology experts.
The Secretary of State tried out a driverless Google car, but did not appear to be going anywhere fast as he sat inside the stationary vehicle for photographs.
He was in Silicon Valley on Thursday for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and met up with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for a tour of the social media giant's headquarter
Secretary of State John Kerry tried out a driverless Google car at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit
Kerry did not appear to be going anywhere fast as he sat inside the stationary vehicle for photograph
Kerry took a look under the hood at its engine, before taking a seat inside the tiny two-seater vehicle
Zuckerberg and Kerry were seen meeting inside the plush Menlo Park offices and the two southpaws shared a left-handed handshake at the start of the day.
The Secretary of State was taken to a blackboard to write an inspirational message alongside dozens of others.
He wrote: 'Great ideas born in Massachusetts! Keep connecting the world - onward Facebook!
Afterwards, Kerry was taken outside to have a go in a Google driverless car.
He took a look under the hood at its engine, before taking a seat inside the tiny two-seater vehicle.
The cars are not currently roadworthy but legislators are considering changing the law to allow them on U.S. highways.
The cars are not currently roadworthy but legislators are considering changing the law to allow them
Kerry met up with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for a tour of the social media giant's headquarters
The Secretary of State was taken to a blackboard to write an inspirational message alongside dozens of others
One of the main hurdles Google has to overcome is legislation saying cars must have a driver.
But U.S. vehicle safety regulators said in March that the artificial intelligence system piloting a self-driving Google car could be considered the driver under federal law .
Major automakers and technology companies such as Google are racing to develop and sell vehicles that can drive themselves at least part of the time.
All participants in the autonomous driving race complain that state and federal safety rules are impeding testing and eventual deployment of such vehicles.
Also at the the Global Entrepreneurship Summit was President Obama - who launched the annual meetings of technology pioneers six years ago.
Obama also met with Zuckerberg on Friday, and gave a speech following a discussion with the head of Facebook before commenting on the outcome of Britain's referendum on its EU membership.
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