As others have commented, you really do have to take into account the worst-case scenarios. Even if automated cars are a win in 99.9% of the cases, the 0.1% of failures (intentional or not) may be devastating.
As others have commented, you really do have to take into account the worst-case scenarios. Even if automated cars are a win in 99.9% of the cases, the 0.1% of failures (intentional or not) may be devastating.
Also, what's to stop it from happening now?
Remember the guy that stole the tank? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AcVSEY2DP0
Remember the guy that built an armored vehicle out of a bulldozer? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4nlcmmt8X0
Semi-trucks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3NKlzZmgl0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loUWmQdj70w
You'd have to equip it with run-flat tires to stand a chance.
Even an armed drone or helicopter would probably be publicly acceptable to stop it.
The main difference is (and/or will be) that with better automation, an intelligent hacker can execute such an attack remotely, with minimal risk to their person. Just as is the situation today with malware on the internet, we'll be enabling an entirely new class of remote attacks which have the potential to affect many people. We've learned enough from malware to know that this turns into a cat and mouse game with arbitrary depth. The issue is not whether this situation will get away from us, but when and how.
It is good to think about these situations to enable safeguards to be preemptively put in place.
Autonomous vehicles aren't necessarily able to be remotely controlled, the computers and guidance systems are built into the vehicle, waypoints that would be located on roads would be used, which would be unable to cause damage other than the goods not being delivered and the truck being in the wrong place.
Even after 9/11 planes are still somewhat of a threat if the attacker is determined enough. Spend years becoming a pilot or flight crew and you'd have access to the cockpit, after that there's not much limit to how much damage you could cause. There is some protection at certain spots though, the White House is fairly safe: http://cryptome.org/eyeball/wh-missile/pict0.jpg
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/07/24/hackers...
This is about bluetooth and CD sound hacks, hopefully those have been locked down on future models since it's been known a while. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/business/10hack.html
The article I linked to links to the article you linked to about halfway down.
9/11 proves that we are incapable of handling the 0.01% failure case without going to extremes. Very disheartening.