Just Because We Can, Does that Mean We Should

While the human race has created some of the most glorious and wondrous creations in the world, we have also created some of the most deadly and destructive items as well. Some creations were born by accident and were realized to have applications that allow them to be used against enemies while others were purposely built to flatten cities and create a feeling of submission from those we oppose. Even though automotive technology isn’t quite in the category of the atomic bomb or chemical warfare weapons, what we need to ask ourselves is whether or not it makes sense to offer autonomous technology.

Yes We Can

We’ve heard motivational speakers and leaders of industries stand up and lead the chant that makes us want to shout out “Yes We Can” at the top of our lungs. The fact that we can do something doesn’t always mean we should. Yes, we can drive a car at over 100 miles per hour on the freeway, but should we do so? Yes, we can steal from others and might even get away with it, but should we? While these may be questions of a moral and safety nature, the question we need to ask is a financial one. Just because automakers can develop and eventually offer autonomous technology in a vehicle, does that mean they should do so? The question comes down to whether or not there will be a need, a desire and a market for cars that can drive themselves. While most of us can’t look into the future and predict with any certainty the fact that events are going to take place at a certain time and place, there may be a need for full autonomy later in the industry, but right now, there’s still a great deal of skepticism.

Should We

While we already know that computers can process information much faster than we can as humans, we’ve all experienced a system failure, loss of connection and situations that computers aren’t ready for. The term GIGO stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out” which simply means that the programming of any system is what you’re going to receive. While automakers are admirably putting money into developing autonomous technology, it’s nearly impossible for them to actually program every possible scenario into a system and allow that system to know what to do and how to react. This would seem to need a true learning artificial intelligence, which we don’t have at all.

Even though many people would be averse to riding in a fully autonomous car, because we do like to have some human control elements in place, most would be more than happy to have a car that has partial autonomy. This may be where the market finds its sweet spot for the next decade. We may be presented with more and more systems that are designed to aid us in our driving efforts and help keep us safe while allowing us to continue to maintain our human control over the vehicle.