It’s been some time since we first heard about self-driving cars. And right now new models do have some kind of automated and sensors that truly make the driving experience safer, it seems that self-driving cars aren’t here just yet. That being said, technology is constantly being tested, and as the capabilities of AI improve the future of self-driving cars seems closer. So, let’s explore this topic a bit better and see if we can actually trust self-driving cars and if we should embrace this technology at all.
Benefits of Self-Driving Cars
The reason or reasons we should really look forward to the development of this tech is definitely its benefits. So, even if we are cations about trusting them we should be ready to adopt the tech at some point.
For starters, by adopting self-driving cars we allow people with disabilities to also have a vehicle they can use to get around. This is a step in the right direction as a lot of people will be able to have an easier life thanks to this technology.
Another reason is that people will be able to have a drink or two at a party and use their car to get back home. Meaning we can significantly reduce the number of car accidents caused by drunk driving. Not only that but, statistically speaking people are more prone to mistakes compared to well-developed software. Meaning, if we all decide to rely on AI for driving we are making roads a lot safer. It’s also going to be possible to make long-distance trips in your car since you don’t have to be awake throughout the whole trip.
Trust Issues
Much like anything else we rely on today, self-driving systems are prone to cyber-attacks. In other words, if we fully embrace this system we can effectively create an environment where few people can cause mass disasters. Additionally, the tech might not be as reliable as we would like it to be. In theory one should be able to just enter the car and get to his or her destination, however, that’s under the ideal circumstance. The system relies on different features in order to navigate and if even one of those fails, the whole thing could fall apart.
In other words, you would still have to monitor what is going on in order to assume control of the vehicle and prevent potential disasters. This kind of beats the purpose of this tech. If it’s supposed to help those who are drunk, or disabled, then they cannot be tasked with monitoring and supplementing any software shortcomings.
Conclusion
It’s frustrating and very inconvenient when we lose control over our bank account or email due to a cyberattack, it could be far deadlier to lose control over a vehicle. The reason why we are waiting for so long for this tech to be implemented is that regular safety measures or malfunction just won’t cut it.
That being said, we are seeing traffic disasters every day that are caused by human error, so even with today’s tech switching to self-driving systems won’t necessarily create more problems than what we are experiencing currently.