I guess the saying goes, "For every Action, there is a Reaction." ... the reaction in this case might not be totally beneficial to the masses.
FBI warns driverless cars could be used as 'lethal weapon's'
Wednesday 16 July 2014
Internal report sees benefits for road safety, but warns that autonomy will create greater potential for criminal 'multitasking'
Self-driving cars are being worked on by Google and other technology companies.
Google’s driverless car may remain a prototype, but the FBI believes the “game changing” vehicle could revolutionise high-speed car chases within a matter of years. The report also warned that autonomous cars may be used as "lethal weapons".
In an unclassified but restricted report obtained by the Guardian under a public records request, the FBI predicts that autonomous cars “will have a high impact on transforming what both law enforcement and its adversaries can operationally do with a car.”
In a section called Multitasking, the report notes that “bad actors will be able to conduct tasks that require use of both hands or taking one’s eyes off the road which would be impossible today.”
One nightmare scenario could be suspects shooting at pursuers from getaway cars that are driving themselves.
Self-driving cars use lidar (laser ranging), radar, video cameras and GPS technology to build up a digital 3D map of their surroundings, including buildings, roads, pedestrians and other vehicles. The cars can then be programmed to navigate safely to a destination while avoiding obstacles and (usually) obeying the rules of the road.
theguardian.com |
