At the dawn of the car era, carmakers needed to allay fears that pedestrian lives were at risk.
Library of Congress
Today it’s smart technology that will defend drivers and pedestrians. Over a century ago, it was the Klaxon horn.
A recent investigation revealed that the autopilot in Tesla vehicles would switch off when a collision is imminent.
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The promise of self-driving cars remains unfulfilled, as the technology still requires drivers to co-pilot the vehicles to avoid collisions.
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Between driverless cars, autonomous weapons and AI-powered medical diagnostic tools, it seems there will be no shortage of ethically-complex situations involving AI in the future.
Tesla’s Autopilot enables hands-free driving, but it’s not meant to allow drivers to take their eyes off the road.
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An autonomous vehicle expert explains how Tesla’s Autopilot works, what prompted US authorities to investigate the system and what changes might be in store for the company.
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The public holds self-driving cars to incredibly high safety standards – and we’re working to meet them.
The 2015 diesel scandal resulted in a 40% drop in the company’s share price at the time.
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Tesla has a lot more going for it than just its electric cars. VW must think wider and bolder to save the business.
What does a future full of AVs mean for all the spaces reserved for downtown parking?
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Self-driving cars may someday drop off their owners downtown and then leave to find free parking. What would that mean for cities of the future?
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The real ethical challenge of driverless cars is not deciding how they respond in emergencies – it’s facing up to the failings of human drivers.
People expect drivers to stop for them at pedestrian crossings, but what if they know autonomous vehicles will stop any time someone chooses to step in front of them?
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How will people respond once they realise they can rely on autonomous vehicles to stop whenever someone steps out in front of them? Human behaviour might stand in the way of the promised ‘autopia’.
An increase in the use of self-driving cars will change parking requirements in the city.
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An increase in the use of self-driving cars will change parking infrastructure in cities, and hopefully result in more colourful character neighbourhoods.
Just like teenagers, robot drivers need lots of practice.
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Autonomous cars need to learn how to drive just like people do: with real-world practice on public roads. It’s key to safety, and to public confidence in the new technologies.
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Transport policies in European cities are on a collision course with the tech industry’s ambitions for self-driving cars.
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Governments have started to see automation as the key to brighter urban futures. But what will this look like?
On March 18 in Tempe, Arizona, an Uber self-driving car struck and killed Elaine Herzberg, who was walking her bicycle across a street. The human driver was supposed to be monitoring the car’s behaviour, but did not do so. Its systems apparently did not detect the victim, as it neither slowed down nor tried to avoid hitting Herzberg
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The report of the mathematician and deputy of Essonne Cédric Villani renders his report on artificial intelligence today.
Decisions made by engineers today will determine how all cars drive.
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The biggest ethical challenges for self-driving cars arise in mundane situations, not when crashes are unavoidable.