With technology advancing faster than people can keep up, it was only a matter of time before AI was installed in vehicles too. The future of intelligent cars allows automatic updates without any need for mechanics, and features that allow drivers to shop, order food and even read the news from their dashboard!
At the same time, these very intelligent vehicles are helping companies collect data about consumers’ driving habits. Cars now have the ability to track their location, the local weather, your speed, your favourite songs or radio stations, and in some cases, even the weight of passengers. The companies implementing AI in vehicles argue that these updates help improve the personalization of vehicles and enhance the experience of road users. Although car manufacturers are optimistic that almost every car will be connected in the next decade, there are fears that these changes are occurring too fast.
Cars that are connected to the cloud are at risk of their data security being exploited. In the past, cars with keyless entry have been hacked into and unlocked by thieves. If cars that can be parked or driven remotely are connected to the cloud, hackers could exploit this too.
Government regulation will be necessary in the future to ensure that the future of data collection and cloud control of vehicles is done in the safest way possible – to ensure users’ security. Until then though, it seems that human drivers still have control over our wheels.