Artificial intelligence has developed an astonishing amount since it was first founded as an academic discipline in 1956. Today, artificial intelligence systems are shaping the world to become a smarter, faster and more efficient place. AI is hugely beneficial to many industry sectors when it comes to business decisions and productivity – so much so that 84% of company representatives believe that investing in AI can bring more competitive advantages, according to Kommando Tech.
From when cars were first properly introduced to the public in the late 1800’s, they have adapted and improved beyond belief. Many people nowadays rely on cars to travel to most places. According to Statista, 87 percent of UK residents have a car available. For the last few years there have been talks of driverless cars being introduced to the public which has caused much controversy.
Potential Dangers
On a recent survey carried out by CNBC, 15% of the US public said they don’t believe there will ever be an autonomous vehicle on the market, and 42% said they would never ride in a fully automated vehicle. Many people don’t like the idea of not having control over their vehicle, which is completely understandable. In 2016, a driver was killed when the sensors of a car driving in autopilot mode failed to detect a truck. This was the first big automotive accident which was caused by AI. Not only this, in 2018 an autonomous car killed a pedestrian in Arizona, USA. I think the initial fear of AI cars is the unknown. Many people would prefer control over their vehicles if anything out of the ordinary was to happen. For example, if an animal was to run out in front of the car, would AI detect it? Not only this, drivers may come accustomed to not driving and therefore their proficiency will be limited. If a driver for any instance had to drive, problems may occur.
Increased Safety
On a positive note, driverless cars could potentially increase road safety along with reducing traffic. According to Lifehack, 1.2 million people are killed each year in traffic accidents. Studies have shown that even partial automation of driving could significantly reduce these deaths, making the roads safer for everyone. Already, many AI incorporated vehicles have forward collision warning systems that alert drivers or even automatically brake. A self-driving car can also potentially reduce crimes and accidents related to drink driving. According to drink driving.org, approximately 85,000 people are convicted of drink driving related offences each year in England and Wales alone. In a self-driving car, the ‘driver’ might be drunk, but the automated driver remains completely sober (as it is an AI software). Also, driving fatigue and getting lost would be things of the past as the vehicle would do all the work for you.
Less traffic
Driverless vehicles communicate with each other and their surrounds so AI can identify traffic, road works and the surrounds. This means the vehicle will be able to identify the optimal route in order to travel from A to B more efficiently. Driverless cars have been proven to reduce road accidents which once happened, cause a lot of traffic. Less road accidents = less traffic!
Greener Planet
Connected vehicles (driverless cars) can also contribute to a greener planet. Technology that connected cars inhibit could result in less fuel consumption along with lower emissions released due to AI connecting with roadside infrastructure such as traffic lights and road congestion. The lower fuel consumption would result in fuel savings. The environment is such a huge topic nowadays, especially with emissions being a huge part of the global warming impact.
Less Jobs
Despite many positives, there are also some negatives when it comes to driverless cars. Delivery drivers, taxi drivers and even public transport drivers will eventually lose their jobs as autonomous vehicles take over. Many people within the driving industry will become unemployed and may struggle to find another job if all they have done is driving.
Better Economy
According to Kommando Tech, 40% of business leaders believe AI will increase worker productivity. Driverless cars can help employees arrive to work on time due to assessing traffic and road incidents. Along with this, driverless cars can potentially improve the health of drivers. Traffic jams have been showed to cause a rise in anxiety, depression and even blood pressure. The less traffic jams and road accidents, the happier drivers will be which may represent their mood at work. Driverless cars could also cause an increase in jobs. For example, there may be a rise in software developers to improve driverless cars and ensure they are performing efficiency.
Hackers
As technology is improving every year, so are the minds of scammers and hackers. There is potential that hackers may be able to access the vehicles data and control the operation. This could be a huge concern for other drivers along with pedestrians. If one person was the hack into the software of an AI vehicle, what’s to say that that one person can hack and override all AI vehicles? Another possible threat to smart vehicles is they can potentially be malfunctioned incorrectly which may alter its performance. Along with this, smart vehicles can be used in criminal activities such as driving explosive bombs into highly targeted areas. Hackers could access the software and program the car to do certain things which could cause danger.
By Amy Leary, Marketing Manager at eBOM.com
