Unveiling the less-discussed side of innovation, this article delves into the potential downsides of autonomous vehicles through the lens of industry specialists. It explores the implications for skilled labor, driving culture, and the risks associated with a hurried transition to technology reliance. Experts offer their perspectives on the significant impact these changes could have on employment and cognitive health.
- Impact on Skilled Labor Jobs
- Effect on Driving Culture
- Fear of Half-Baked Promise
- Risk of Over-Reliance on Tech
- Loss of Millions of Jobs
- Impact on Cognitive Health
Impact on Skilled Labor Jobs
One major concern is the impact on skilled labor jobs, especially in trades that rely on driving, like plumbing and other field services. If autonomous vehicles take over, there’s a risk that companies cut back on hiring human drivers, potentially reducing job opportunities for technicians who rely on service trucks. Additionally, AI-driven dispatching could prioritize efficiency over practical job-site realities, leading to logistical issues when navigating complex or unpredictable work environments. While automation can improve safety and logistics, it shouldn’t come at the cost of skilled tradespeople losing autonomy over their work schedules and transportation.
Blake Beesley
Operations and Technology Manager, Pacific Plumbing Systems
Effect on Driving Culture
As the Managing Director of a car detailing company, my biggest fear about autonomous vehicles is how they might affect driving culture and the personal connection people have with their cars. Right now, car owners take pride in maintaining their vehicles—keeping them spotless, upgrading features, and even personalizing them to reflect their style. But if cars become purely functional, with no real “driver,” will people still care about upkeep the same way? The emotional bond between humans and cars might fade, which could change the entire auto care industry, including detailing services.
Another concern is the reliability of AI decision-making in unpredictable situations. Driving isn’t just about following rules; it’s about reading human behavior on the road. If an autonomous vehicle has to make a life-or-death decision, who does it prioritize? Ethical dilemmas like this make me wonder if widespread adoption could create new safety risks rather than eliminate them. While technology has its advantages, putting complete trust in AI on the road still feels risky.
Finally, there’s the economic impact. If self-driving cars reduce accidents and wear-and-tear, industries that rely on repairs, maintenance, and even detailing could see a shift. While there will still be a need for high-end detailing, self-driving fleets could prioritize efficiency over aesthetics, making luxury detailing services less of a priority for many. This might push detailing businesses to evolve, focusing more on specialized treatments for autonomous fleets rather than individual car owners.
Faqi Faiz
Managing Director, Incar Detailing
Fear of Half-Baked Promise
The biggest fear about the downsides of widespread autonomous vehicle adoption? It’s not the fear of a dystopian robot takeover—it’s the fear of a half-baked promise. That moment when technology outpaces the morality and legislation surrounding it. Let’s face it: self-driving cars won’t fail us because of bad software; they’ll fail because humans still write the rules.
Consider this: in 2018, a pedestrian was killed by an Uber self-driving car. The system detected the person but failed to classify them properly. What happened next? The tech industry played hot potato with the blame. Was it the manufacturer’s fault? Uber’s? The regulator’s? That’s the future I fear—a world where innovation gets ahead of accountability.
Imagine insurers grappling with this. How do you underwrite a policy for a car driven by algorithms with no clear-cut liability? Do you blame the car owner, the software developer, or the manufacturer? And let’s not kid ourselves—autonomous vehicles are only as unbiased as the humans programming them. When cars decide who lives and dies in unavoidable collisions, what criteria do they use? Who gets to be “spared,” and who is the sacrificial lamb? That’s not just an algorithm. That’s a moral minefield masquerading as code.
Autonomous vehicles promise safety, but my fear? They’ll create a patchwork of ethical chaos, leaving everyone—drivers, pedestrians, insurers—trapped in a system that absolves itself of human consequence.
James Shaffer
Managing Director, Insurance Panda
Risk of Over-Reliance on Tech
One big fear? The risk of over-reliance on tech without enough human oversight. Autonomous vehicles are impressive, but no system is foolproof—what happens when the AI misreads a situation or there’s a system glitch? My biggest concern is safety, especially in edge cases like extreme weather or complex urban environments where the tech could fail unexpectedly. The impact? Accidents that could’ve been avoided with better fail-safes or human intervention. Widespread adoption needs to focus on redundancy and accountability, not just innovation for innovation’s sake.
Justin Belmont
Founder & CEO, Prose
Loss of Millions of Jobs
As a CEO who deeply cares about developments in technology, I am afraid the evolution of self-driving cars could lead to the loss of millions of jobs in various sectors including truck, taxi, and delivery services. Jobs that, according to industry estimates, are occupied by hundreds of millions of people across the globe. Gears toward automation could result in general chaos, high rates of unemployment, economic turmoil, and friction between educated and uneducated groups. Advancement and automation are boosters of evolution, but eliminating that many jobs will have dire consequences for society. It is a balancing act with several strings attached.
Equally concerning is the ethical question regarding the decision-making process in emergency scenarios. AI-controlled vehicles make use of artificial intelligence systems to monitor vehicles in operation, but these systems, like humans, can make mistakes. In accidents that cannot be avoided, how will the vehicle make choices as to whose life is more important? From a legal and moral perspective, inherently flawed systems should not be programmed to make such decisions as, “Should I hit the pedestrian, or drive into the future traffic?” These and many other equally pressing matters result in a lack of faith in automated vehicles and a lack of reasons for the adoption of new specifications.
In the last count, the greatest concern of autonomous vehicles is the risk of potential cyberattacks. Hackers are ever-watching to launch an assault on autonomous vehicles due to their high dependence on sophisticated software and continual data exchange. If we thought an attack on a single vehicle was frightening, then consider a cyberattack on multiple self-driving autonomous vehicles which could result in dire traffic congestion and even extensive head-on collisions. It is crucial to focus on policy enforcement and strengthen cyber security measures before allowing any self-driving cars into everyday use.
Harkamaljeet Singh
CEO, Silver Taxi Melbourne
Impact on Cognitive Health
My biggest concern about widespread autonomous vehicle adoption is how it might affect our cognitive health and mental engagement.
Driving is more than just getting from one place to another—it keeps our brains active. It requires focus, decision-making, and quick reflexes, which are all forms of mental stimulation. My worry is that if we hand over all of that responsibility to machines, we could lose an important way to keep our minds sharp, especially for older individuals who benefit from staying mentally engaged through tasks like driving.
Another concern is how over-reliance on the technology might affect our ability to respond in emergencies. If people aren’t used to actively controlling a vehicle, they might struggle to react quickly and effectively when the system fails or requires human intervention. That could lead to accidents or even create a sense of helplessness and anxiety in those situations.
While I’m excited about the convenience and safety improvements autonomous vehicles could bring, I think we need to be mindful of how taking people out of the equation might impact their brains in the long run.
Dr. Gregory Gasic
Co-Founder, VMeDx
