Self-driving cars are rapidly evolving and changing the course of mobility and transportation. The widespread adoption of these autonomous vehicles has a direct impact on the concept of vehicle ownership, labor demand, and urban land utilization.
Like any other innovative concept, self-driving cars have both significant benefits and potential drawbacks. On the one hand, the automotive market promises enhanced efficiency and increased safety with the implementation of autonomous vehicles. On the contrary, social scientists often claim that it will only aggravate socioeconomic inequalities in society.
To understand this better, this blog will walk you through the positive and negative implications of autonomous vehicles powered by AI solutions. This informational piece will also discuss the social, economic, and ethical aspects of utilizing self-driving cars. So, let’s delve into this!
The Social Impacts of Self-driving Vehicles
The advent of autonomous vehicles has profound impacts on society as a whole. First of all, the most prominent social implication of autonomous driving cars is the disconnection with driving. There has always been a joy of driving that could not be replaced with the convenience autonomous vehicles bring.
Apart from this, there are also certain gender differences associated with using and purchasing self-driving cars. As per the BRAVE Project, men were more excited about embracing and buying autonomous vehicles. On the other hand, women were less enthusiastic and even worried about the innovation.
In addition, self-driving cars will also have a significant impact on the car-pooling phenomenon. These driverless cars will be a great option for a group of 4-5 people to share the vehicle and reach their respective destinations.
Google’s Waymo has been one of the greatest players in this category, utilizing artificial intelligence in self driving cars and pioneering in ride-hailing services.
Read More: How Cloud Security Managed Services Protect Your Business?
The Ethical Impacts of Self-driving Vehicles
Autonomous vehicles mainly operate on AI and ML algorithms. These algorithms often control the entire system of a self-driving car and make decisions based on the data accordingly. However, not every time these algorithms are neutral. Most of the time, programmers choose what seed information they want people to see, making these algorithms biased.
This is something very concerning from the safety perspective of autonomous vehicles. In case the ML algorithms used in these self-driving cars fail to take an ethical and logical decision, it can lead to severe damage and potential accidents. Therefore, it’s crucial to carefully test the decision-making system of these autonomous vehicles in different case scenarios.
The Economic Impacts of Self-driving Vehicles
When it comes to the economic impacts of autonomous vehicles, the major concern is related to job losses and unemployment. With the ever-rising adoption of self-driving cars, many people employed as taxi drivers, valets, parking attendants, delivery drivers, and car mechanics can significantly lose their jobs.
However, on the brighter side, the inception of autonomous vehicles has generated a plethora of jobs, as well. For instance, in Canada, there are not enough truck drivers to drive large logistics trucks.
To overcome this, renowned automotive company Mercedes started capitalizing on autonomous trucks. In fact, they are already testing level 5 trucks in areas that are excessively dangerous for human drivers to ride.
In another example, Uber witnessed that with the widespread adoption of self-driving cars, many of its drivers lost their jobs. Therefore, they came up with a great solution to rectify this issue. For drivers who were interested in upgrading their skills and transitioning their working lines, the company created several programs in engineering, computer science, and engineering.
Read More: How Cloud Security Managed Services Protect Your Business?
Key Takeaways
- Self-driving cars have both good and bad implications — be it social or economic.
- On the positive side, these autonomous vehicles can significantly reduce the expenses incurred in coping with vehicle accidents and traffic congestion.
- However, the negative side states that self-driving cars can also promote economic instability and contribute to unemployment.
- Autonomous vehicles can prove to be a useful solution for car-pooling. However, the adoption of this technology in ride-hailing is still very low.
- It’s crucial to appoint the right people and experts to shape how self-driving cars must be introduced into society.
- Overall, if used and implemented in the right manner, autonomous cars can facilitate increased socioeconomic mobility.
Endnote
There is no doubt that self-driving cars are all set to transform the way we used to commute in the future. However, transitioning from non-autonomous vehicles to autonomous vehicles will be challenging, especially considering its economic, social, and ethical implications. All this comes down to having skillful policymakers who not just implement this technology in the mainstream but also address concerns that would come into the picture later.
Read More: QuickBooks the Ultimate Accounting Software Solution