The Era of Self-Driving Cars 1 The Era of Self-Driving Cars Michael Parker-Bell Information Technology 104-006 George Mason University March 2nd, 2017 "By placing this statement on my webpage, I certify that I have read and understand the GMU Honor Code on http://oai.gmu.edu/the-mason-honor-code-2/ and as stated, I as student member of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work. In addition, I have received permission from the copyright holder for any copyrighted material that is displayed on my site. This includes quoting extensive amounts of text, any material copied directly from a web page and graphics/pictures that are copyrighted. This project or subject material has not been used in another class by me or any other student. Finally, I certify that this site is not for commercial purposes, which is a violation of the George Mason Responsible Use of Computing (RUC) Policy posted on http://copyright.gmu.edu/?page_id=301 web site."
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 2 I. Introduction The United States is a nation that continues to grow when it comes to automobile technology. Almost everyone in the world wants convenient ways to transport on the road. To be specific, the new self-driving cars are simply amazing! When I started to read about selfdriving cars I wasn t very interested because it seemed as if these cars were very risky and unsafe. However, through research I learned that self-driving automobiles are controlled by robots that are trained to drive the passenger wherever they desire. Yes, you won't have to worry about taking driving test anymore because your car will drive you! Can you imagine a more convenient world with less car accidents and more safety? While this sounds very interesting, many critics will question these cars asking Are these cars safe?, How do you know the cars are safe?, Where is this technology used?, What are the ethical and social implications related to self-driving cars?, What is the future use of this technology? etc. Self-driving cars is a new technology that will benefit the passenger in every way possible. In this paper I will explain the benefits of self-driving cars as well as the concerns that many critics have for these cars. II. Current Use Self-driving cars are controlled by programmable robots. Basically, the passenger communicates with the robot commanding the robot to drive them anywhere they desire. These cars are currently still being tested, and they are predicted to be ready for use in 2020. Automobile companies such as Telsa, Toyota, Google, and BMW are aiming to replace the human-controlled automobiles for self- driving cars before 2020. Telsa is competing with Google to reduce consumers concerns about self-driving cars. Self-driving automobiles are predicted to be used in China, Germany, United States, and Europe. Initially each car company
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 3 will locate their automobiles in the country they originated in. The production rates of the cars vary depending on the countries that are producing the cars. Each automobile company expects to increase safety, and to reduce road injuries. We can all agree that most accidents occur because of human mistakes and road rage. For an example, driving drunk, reckless driving etc. Self-Driving cars are expected to reduce these incidents because a robot is driving, and the passenger just relaxes. These cars are currently being tested in many countries around the world to decrease the concerns of future consumers. III. For Security Aspects of Self-Driving Cars Manufacturers are currently discovering ways to make self-driving cars more efficient and secure. Over the past year, google tested their self-driving cars and they we're only involved in about 11 accidents. This is good considering that over about 50,000 self-driving cars we re tested in the last year. Many people have come to the conclusion that in the next 20 years, selfdriving cars will be safer to use than human-controlled cars. Manufacturers want to program the robot so that it is guaranteed that road-injury accidents won t occur. Many companies are applying different functions to these cars in order to guarantee safety. The functions include trackers in the car's, communication with the robot etc. Self-driving automobiles ensure that the passenger will be able to physically communicate with the robot. This almost guarantees safety because the robot is programmed to carry out the passengers command, and communication basically grants any command that the passenger desires. Also, companies such as BMW and Ford plan to build a security system inside of the cars to avoid thieves and hackers. As stated above, Google s self-driving cars almost guarantee safety. Their cars were involved in 11 accidents out of the 50,000 cars tested. Managing the devices will be a constant struggle because it's natural for devices to quit operating after a certain amount of time. However, producers
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 4 almost guarantee that in the next couple of years these cars will be completely secure for the passenger. IV. Ethical and Social Implications of Self-Driving Cars Many people question the ethical and social implications of self driving cars. Some people may ask what will happen if these cars just randomly stop working? What if the robot controlling the car is disabled? What if someone hacks the car to try to disable the robot? These are ethical and social implications that manufacturers are currently working towards. Many industries conclude that there will be security against thieves, hackers, etc. There may be a security system built into the car. Also, most companies conclude that voice programmers will be built into the car. Another concern is that citizens who work for car companies such as Uber and Taxis will lose their jobs. Many predict that robots will replace about ⅓ of the populations occupations by 2040. The U.S. population in particular is very large with scarce resources to satisfy people s needs. Every occupation in the U.S. and in other countries supports people s needs and desires. Specifically, in low-income countries, there is a growing concern that many people will lose their jobs because of programmable robots. These robots may take the occupations of less-skilled workers, and the above proficient workers will maintain their jobs. Will these robots be used in certain areas of the U.S. or will they dictate the majority of the jobs that people need to sustain themselves? I don't know the answer to this question. However, I would personally restrict the robots use in low and middle income countries because these occupations feed the families of many citizens. High-income countries consist of people who take on advanced labor which can t be replaced by robots. As a nation, we must find a way to balance people s needs, and the production of technology that can possibly terminate our society.
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 5 V. Additional Ways to Address Concerns I believe that initially the cars should be supplied to high-income countries. Manufacturers should gradually increase the rate of supply depending on how the cars benefit the consumers. If the production process is too fast I think that this would cause chaos because so many people would lose jobs. Jobs will most likely be lost in low and middle income countries. Also, surveys could be used so that the government can get a better understanding of the benefits and disadvantages of self-driving cars. Lastly, I think that each state should have a vote on whether to allow self-driving cars or not. There are many ways to balance the production of self-driving cars, but the process should balance both innovation and the needs of the people. If this new technology is balanced we can expect a world that is more convenient in the future. VI. Future Use Self-Driving cars are predicted to be up and running by 2020. Manufacturers are positive that the automation cars will be able to completely function at this time. The goal is to reduce the number of self-driving car accidents to 0 by 2020. Based on the current rate of accidents, there is potentially a chance that the car can be ready for use possibly before 2020. In the future, manufacturers guarantee safety while driving. However, people question the car's ability to function in disastrous situations. Manufacturers want to ensure that self-driving automobiles will be able to properly function in storms, snow, rain, etc. We all realize that the robots must be able to respond to different environments. Some critics believe that self-driving cars will be outlawed in the future because of the many possible consequences of these cars. Many people complain about undocumented immigrants taking most of the jobs. However, critics believe that the real concern is that in the future we will be dictated by robots which is make-believe technology. I
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 6 believe in a nation that values change. In about 5 years from now we will be able to transport more conveniently and efficiently. Road accidents which is one of the top burdens of death will dramatically decrease. Automation cars have more advantages than disadvantages because it satisfies a problem that the U.S. government has tried to address for years. I picture a bright future with a new technology that will make the world more convenient and safe. VII. Conclusion There are many advantages and disadvantages to self-driving vehicles. However, the advantages of these vehicles are far greater than the disadvantages. I believe in a world of innovation and security. Self-driving cars demand security on the road because a programmed robot is controlling the car instead of a human. As a nation we should not be selfish when it comes to making decisions that will better our nation. Many people focus on the few negative effects of automation vehicles. Specifically, the lost of jobs is a fear for many citizens. However, the automobile industry makes up a small percentage of jobs. Every human that is behind the wheel has a chance of making a mistake while driving. Road injury is one of the most severe burdens of death in low and middle income countries. To address this issue we must face the reality that human error is a problem that we can t control. However, we can decrease road injury accidents through this new innovative technology. Many critics are concerned about the security of the technology. However, self-driving cars are very secure because statistics show that 50,000 test were conducted with only 11 accidents. This is astonishing based on the fact that the cars will be ready for use by 2020. If the production of these cars aren t balanced there will be chaos. I believe that the cars should initially be used in high income countries to avoid riots because people are losing jobs. The logical way to address this situation is to progressively increase the supply of the automobiles each year in order to
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 7 analyze how the society views this innovation as a whole. There are many challenges that we must persevere through as a nation. However, the end result of this technology will improve the lives of many people across the world.
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 8 References Bosworth, J. (2015). ROBOTS IN YOUR FUTURE. Americas Quarterly, 9(2), 40-45. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1697986539?accountid=14541 This scholarly journal gave me more information of the future of self-driving cars. These cars will have a bright future. However, manufacturers are working to minimize the accidents involved with self-driving cars. This is their number one goal. However, self-driving cars will bring a promised future of more reliable and efficient transportation! GLOBAL TRENDS 2030: ALTERNATIVE WORLDS*. (2013). Journal of Current Issues in Globalization, 6(1), 1-134. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1627086608?accountid=14541 This scholarly journal helped me understand the future use of self-driving cars. I was able to analyze and predict the future of the cars. These cars made me grow even more eager to start using one! This article laid out the foundation for the cars. The future looks pretty good if selfdriving cars continue to keep developing! Purves, D., Jenkins, R., & Strawser, B. J. (2015). Autonomous machines, moral judgment, and acting for the right reasons. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 18(4), 851-872. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10677-015-9563-y This scholarly journal helped me to understand the security aspects of self-driving cars. I completed the section titled For Security Aspects of Self-Driving Cars. This section also
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 9 briefly stated the pros and cons of robotics. Also, I was persuaded by this article to do even more research on self-driving cars. The article provided me with the knowledge I need to explain my topic for this research paper. Rus, D. (2015). The robots are coming. Foreign Affairs, 94(4), 2-6. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1691576665?accountid=14541 This scholarly journal gave me information on self-driving cars and where the self-driving cars are used. Also, it completely explained how they were used. This site helped me complete my content page titled Current Use. The title is Robots are Coming basically because they are explaining the benefits of robots when it comes to self-driving cars. Also, this source helped me to get a clue about the use of self-driving cars. Scoblete, G. (2012, 08). DIAL "D" FOR DISTRACTION. Tell,, 22-22,24. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1313210438?accountid=14541 This magazine article allowed me to look at different views of self-driving cars. I was able to analyze other people s views. As a result, I was able to see what people thought about selfdriving cars. Self-driving cars must find ways to make the passengers feel safe while driving. Otherwise, this plain can potentially fail based on others viewpoint. Selyukh, A. (2016). A 24-year-old designed A self-driving minibus; maker built it in weeks. Washington: NPR. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1800303301?accountid=14541
The Era of Self-Driving Cars 10 This website allowed me to understand the ethical concerns of self-driving cars. I was also able to determine the social implications of self-driving cars. Many people have different views of these cars. People wonder if these cars will fail, and is it ethical to use these cars? These statements make me want to do even more research on the ethical and social implications of selfdriving cars.