Artificial Intelligence may seem as if it only exists in Science Fiction movies with such examples as Terminator, Star Wars, and The Matrix. However, Artificial Intelligence, or AI, may soon become a reality as science has been making important advances in this field of work. By definition, AI is the study of man-made computational devices and systems which can be made to act in a manner which we would be inclined to call intelligent [1]. In order for a machine to be considered 'intelligent' is must be able to "perform computations to achieve goals in the world" [2].The use of AI in the world would be exponential in terms of simplifying daily life. One field in particular that has seen tremendous advancement as well as publicity is transportation. AI in transportation has great possibilities to vastly improve the way drive and commute, including safer conditions.
Google, Inc. recently has made headlines for creating and testing cars that can drive by themselves. These cars are able to navigate through roads with the development and use of artificial intelligence software. This software can reportedly "sense anything near the car and mimic the decisions made by a human driver" [3]. In testing, engineers reported that "seven cars have driven 1,000 miles without human intervention and the only accident was when one Google car was rear-ended while stopped at a traffic light" [3]. In theory, autonomous cars driven with AI software will ultimately eliminate traffic accidents from the roads. This is stemmed from the idea that the computer will constantly be at attention while in drive, while even the human mind often wanders and causes accidents, fatally and otherwise. In addition, AI cars will have speed limits programmed and well as internal GPS's. This will ultimately take away speeding and getting lost.
While this can be beneficial in terms of safety, can the computer within the car be trusted all the time? Even with the ability for humans to interfere with the driving, the computer still has the potential to short out or fail, as many computers today still do. This would pose possibly a greater threat than even a regular traffic accident because your car will be powered by a computer that may experience severe electrical problems. Even in the safest of cars, "autonomous cars are dependent on sensor-technology...the safety starts to break down when dealing with unexpected situations" [4].
While the technology is still new and being researched, scientists will need to address the potential threat of computer failure with these driver-less cars. It may take extremely superior technology in order for humans to relinquish control of the car. However, even if these cars eventually do become fail-proof, will they stand a chance on the market? Driver-less cars eliminate the need to drive, which is proven hobby of many individuals. Will people gladly give this up? In addition, it is possible that mechanics will need to go through extensive schooling and become somewhat engineers in order to be qualified to fix the new smart cars. This will virtually eliminate an entire trade. While the idea of AI cars seems bright in terms of safety, scientists and engineers have miles to go before perfecting this technology, and even then the market for these cars remains questionable.
