Autonomous driving, a positive progress for society or a danger?

28

September

2021

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Imagine being able to sleep, work, shave your beard, paint your nails or watch your favorite series on Netflix while driving. While that may sound like dangerous activities while driving, it may be reality in the near future. In fact, several companies are developing cars that drive autonomously, for example Tesla and Google. The fact that autonomous driving is getting closer to reality also brings many questions and discussions. Is autonomous driving a positive progress for society or rather a danger? Personally, I believe that autonomous driving is an advance for society because, in my opinion, the advantages of autonomous driving for society outweigh the disadvantages, both of which I will elaborate, respectively, in the paragraphs below.

The first benefit is that autonomous driving can significantly reduce the number of traffic accidents. The ‘United States Department of Transportation’ (USDOT) reported 37,133 deaths in 2017 due to car accidents[1]. 94% of these were caused by human error, according to the USDOT. With autonomous driving, these human errors are eliminated causing a significant reduction in traffic accidents, as much as 90% according to reports from Ohio University and McKinsey & Company[2] [3]. Thus, autonomous driving can improve life expectancy and quality of life. 

A reduction in traffic accidents also indirectly causes a second benefit of autonomous driving. A reduction of traffic accidents results in less traffic jams, which means a decrease in emissions (of exhaust gases). This decrease can be as high as 60%[4]. With the current climate problems, this decrease can make a significant positive impact on the environment and society. In addition, it is known that traffic jams lead to an increase in depression, anxiety and blood pressure, in addition to a lower quality of sleep and a decrease in cardiovascular fitness [5]. With less traffic congestion, these health disadvantages would likely decrease, thus increasing the quality of life.

On the other hand, there are also a number of disadvantages of autonomous driving that are important to mention. Autonomous driving is a technological development and the technological system may have security problems. In order for self-driving cars to communicate and coordinate with each other, they would need to share the same network protocol. However, if a large number of cars share the same network, they are susceptible to a hack[6]. Even a small hack can cause significant damage on busy roads by causing collisions and jamming traffic. This raises major issues that need to be answered before the implementation of autonomous cars, such as: What determines the quality of the system and how good should it be? If an accident is caused by a hack, who is liable?

This brings me to the second major drawback of autonomous driving: the lack of clarity about responsibility in case of traffic accidents[7]. In the event of an accident who is legally responsible? The car brand, the car manufacturer or the driver (or the person behind the wheel in the case of an autonomous driving car)? Because the technology is still relatively new, few clear laws and regulations exist on this. 

[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/technology-innovation/automated-vehicles-safety

[2] https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/the-future-of-driving/

[3] https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/ten-ways-autonomous-driving-could-redefine-the-automotive-world

[4] https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/the-future-of-driving/

[5] https://pharmeasy.in/blog/stress-anxiety-pollution-effects-of-traffic-jam-on-health/

[6] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2019/03/05/hacked-driverless-cars-could-cause-collisions-and-gridlock-in-cities-say-researchers/?sh=3ce5dadf2a09

[7] https://www.tudelft.nl/en/stories/articles/the-responsibility-gap-with-self-driving-cars

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The future doesn’t make sense without autonomous driving

21

September

2020

Autonomous driving is what we need.

4.5/5 (2) 1 to 1.5 hours per day. That is what the average Dutch working citizen spends on commuting. Of a standard working day (8 hours), that is a near 19% addition to the time spent on work. Why are we still stuck in this 20th-century loss of efficiency?

The alternative is already here, and it is far more superior than any other solution yet conceived. Just imagine: a quiet, private space, that brings you anywhere you want, without any distractions. Fully customizable, according to your wishes? You want a 55” flat screen in there? Go ahead. 7.1 Surround system with lounging chair and turntable? Comfortable bed, couch, video conferencing tools, workstation, bath? All feasible. Improving your efficiency by 19% because you can work while commuting? Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Guess what, the technology is already here. Autonomous driving is widely present and extensively researched by major car and tech companies. The advantages are clear: we do not need to focus on driving, so we have time for other activities, among which is working of course. You can get extra sleep so you are more focused at work, or more relaxed when you return home. But also the amount of traffic jams and accidents will decrease. 

There are two things preventing us from being in the future, however. Governmental regulations and infrastructure. Autonomous driving will be a lot safer and quicker implemented when the roads, crossings, cameras and other infrastructure can communicate with the cars. The Internet of Things will aid this development, soon. Governments are careful with implementing laws that allow for a novelty like this, because the current technology is not yet fully operational with other, non-autonomous cars. One solution for this would be to exponentially increase the amount of cars with autonomous driving technology on the road. 

It is like group immunity. The more people have it, the safer the entire community will be.

Society is waiting for you, autonomous driving, please hurry. We need you, and we know it.  

 

Ps. if you are one of those people that does their make-up, reads a newspaper, watches Netflix, listens to music, shaves, talks, calls, eats, works or sleeps in their car: you are living in the future. It is just not legal yet.

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Urban 5G, and the return of physical

9

September

2020

4.75/5 (4) 5G is front-page news. While the debates in countries and continents are ongoing for whether Huawei should be banned from building the 5G networks (Keane, n.d.), the negativity essentially distracts businesses from its opportunities. No matter which company will install the network, being it Huawei, Ericsson or Nokia, 5G will certainly soon be widespread, and companies should already consider its opportunities. Larger companies already anticipate on the benefits of 5G, as in the case of autonomous driving, of which 5G is a key requirement (Form et al., n.d.), and where a large advertising and entertainment market is predicted (Iansiti et al., 2018). How are 5G advances expected to change daily life, and can companies tap into its fruitful benefits?

5G connects
5G is expected the shape and reshape many industries. Key to these advances is the faster and reliable connectivity that 5G offers. IoT devices can communicate with each other in an astounding fashion. I have mentioned autonomous driving in the introduction, but there are many more examples of 5G’s influence, such as logistics – using robotics in combination with 5G – and even agriculture (Reisinger, 2020). However, unless you work in farming or in a warehouse, you will not notice much of it, besides faster delivery and cheaper vegetables.

The most significant felt developments will most likely be in transport, cities and retail experiences. With regards to transportation, an interconnected network of traffic and public transport will be fueled by 5G. For instance, think of an interconnected system, where traffic lights are connected to cars, adjusting to traffic, where data about parking spots are monitored and shared in real-time, and where public transport (e.g. subways, trams) is interconnected for more effective public transit (Intel Corporation, n.d.a). With these efficiencies, it is expected that, because of 5G, 250M of commuting hours will be saved by 2035 (Lanctot et al., 2017).

With regards to retail, new in-store experiences, in-store analytics and supply chain efficiencies will boost the Smart Retail Market’s size to approximately $58.23 billion by 2025 (Grand View Research, 2018). Consumers will experience personalized shopping in physical locations. AI, powered by 5G efficiencies, can detect customer moods and therefore detect the need for assistance. Further, shopping can be personalized, by connecting to personal data – in combination with smart signage – in order to provide targeted offers and discounts. Further possibilities range from 5G powered autonomous stores, delivery efficiencies and connected pop-up shops (Intel Corporation, n.d.b).

Opportunities
A few hub firms – such as Google, Apple and Amazon – will most likely take advantage of the 5G possibilities early on, and try to expand their platforms even more. Therefore, integrating your business with these platforms and gaining exposure will be increasingly important. For instance, in the case you can order your self-driving car to the nearest best-option restaurant via Google or you commute via Apple and would like to have lunch, being the top option is going to be more important than ever.

With 5G, it is possible to provide consumers a personalized experience at a physical store or location. At the moment, this experience is only available in the online space. Retail companies in a variety of industries as well as developers could tap into this opportunity by start thinking of ways to personalize stores and connect digital with physical. For instance, cameras, in combination with face recognition software, could monitor customers’ responses to certain products, which triggers real-time personal recommendations with the use of the 5G network.

For this to happen, retailers and manufacturers should re-investigate their data potential. The presence and usefulness of consumer data can increasingly influence the competitiveness of an enterprise in the physical sphere. Collecting and leveraging it early can provide a head-start. Therefore, a strong online presence now is going to be fundamental for the ‘new’ physical presence in the near future.

Going physical
Certainly, more aspects of life will be influenced by the appearance of 5G. The online sphere will be more and better connected, leading to better services on that front, just like 4G has done. However, 5G is going to be different than 4G, in the sense that the physical world will be influenced to a much larger extent. The interconnectivity of 5G will provide efficiencies and an enormous data potential that ranges from better commute to personalized physical shopping. Companies should be aware of these opportunities by gaining exposure, gathering data early on, and developing ways to connect physical with digital.

References
Form, A., Born, M., Freyberg, A. and Scheck, F. (n.d.). 5G: a key requirement for autonomous driving—really? [online] Kearney. Available at: https://www.kearney.com/communications-media-technology/article/?/a/5g-a-key-requirement-for-autonomous-driving-really- [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020].

Grand View Research (2018). Smart Retail Market Size Worth $58.23 Billion By 2025. [online] Grand View Research. Available at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-smart-retail-market [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020].

Iansiti, M., & Lakhani, K. R. 2018. Managing our hub economy. Harvard Business Review, 96(1), 17-17.

Intel Corporation (n.d.a). Intel Infographic: 5G Smart Cities. [online] Intel. Available at: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/wireless-network/5g-smart-cities-infographic.html [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020a].

Intel Corporation (n.d.b). This Is 5G Revolutionizing Retail On Intel. [online] Intel. Available at: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/wireless-network/5g-technology/5g-retail.html [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020b].

Keane, S. (n.d.). Huawei ban timeline: India will reportedly phase Huawei gear out as border tensions rise. [online] CNET. Available at: https://www.cnet.com/news/huawei-ban-full-timeline-us-restrictions-china-trump-executive-order-android-google-ban/ [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020].

Lanctot, R., Ambrosio, C., Cohen, H. and Riches, I. (2017). Accelerating The Future: The Economic Impact Of The Emerging Passenger Economy. [online] Strategy Analytics. Strategy Analytics. Available at: https://newsroom.intel.com/newsroom/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/passenger-economy.pdf [Accessed 9 Sep. 2020].

Reisinger, D. (2020). How 5G promises to revolutionize farming. [online] Fortune. Available at: https://fortune.com/2020/02/28/5g-farming/.

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