Mercedes recently had to pull an advertising campaign which claimed one its new sedans was a self-driving car, despite the fact that its self-driving capabilities were limited to lane changing and brake assistance. The campaign ended soon after consumer advocates wrote the head of the Federal Trade Commission voicing concerns that the vehicle was being falsely represented as a driverless car. In addition, Uber has been accused by some drivers who have complained about poor service in San Francisco of using software designed for human drivers, but not necessarily autonomous ones, to make it easier for them to work “These companies are in an arms race to get the technology out there and demonstrate they have superior engineering,” a lawyer stated to the WSJ, “…There is a lot of potential for misuses and misunderstanding.”
Mercedes recently had to pull an advertising campaign which claimed one its new sedans was a self-driving car, despite the fact that its self-driving capabilities were limited to lane changing and brake assistance. The campaign ended soon after consumer advocates wrote the head of the Federal Trade Commission voicing concerns that the vehicle was being falsely represented as a driverless car. Tesla has had a well-publicised similar experience which led to the death of a driver using it’s “Autopilot” technology, and as a result automakers are encountering growing concerns about misleading customers and giving them a false sense of security regarding “self-driving” capabilities. “These companies are in an arms race to get the technology out there and demonstrate they have superior engineering,” a lawyer stated to the WSJ, “…There is a lot of potential for misuses and misunderstanding.”