NOT SO RACIST AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

One of humanity's greatest attributes is that we're all created equal, yet we don't all look the same. We're diverse, and it's wonderful.

A recent study by Georgia Tech found that some camera-based autonomous vehicle driving systems are having trouble identifying darker skin tones. A media whirlwind talking up the threat of 'racist AI vehicles' ensued. 

The one thing that got missed in all the needless hysteria, is that autonomous vehicles don't just rely on video cameras to sense their surroundings. LIDAR vision is a laser-light emitting sensory detection system.

LIDAR is to light, what radar is to sound. 

It's a standard feature in all autonomous vehicles. And it works perfectly well at detecting humans in its environment, regardless of skin-tone.

How conveniently that was omitted for the sake of making headlines.

So with the rumour of racist autonomous vehicles debunked, there remains the question of what an autonomous vehicle should do when faced with a split-second decision that carries life-or-death consequences. We want your opinion. 

We're running a first-of-its-kind survey to raise public awareness on how UAE residents feel about such a critical matter, and responses have been incredible.

Do something socially valuable. Take our 3-minute survey and let your voice be heard.