A future filled with autonomous vehicles promises to be a driving utopia. Maximum efficiency navigation decreasing traffic and congestion, safety features that drastically reduce collisions with other cars, bikes, or pedestrians, and an electric-first approach that lowers greenhouse gas emissions. But as with all disruptive technologies, the journey to functional autonomous driving future isn’t a straight road.
To learn more about the impact a huge increase in AVs on our roads are likely to have, we turned to AV researcher Sarah Barnes. Sarah works on the micro-mobility team at Lyft, and has published a variety of works that document expected implications of more autonomous vehicles in major metropolitan areas. On our podcast, How AI Happens, Sarah argues that without a serious focus on three transport revolutions — making transport shared, electric, and autonomous — congestion and pollution could be here to stay.
On this episode, we explore how:
- Transport experts in local governments define “efficiency.”
- AI practitioners can bring local governments and other groups into the design process.
- Increasing amounts of AVs in cities can have both positive and negative impacts.
Stream the full episode below, or head here to select your favorite listening app and view the full transcript.
