Self driving cars could be used for nefarious purposes, beware
Published 7:00 am Saturday, July 19, 2014
Companies such as Google are developing driverless cars. To me, their development is both exciting and worrisome.
Exciting because there are times when I’m on a long trip and would rather not be driving, but really don’t want to stop to get the sleep I know I need.
Having a car that would drive itself to my destination would also allow me to get a bite to eat safely while I head to where ever it is I am going without stopping for an extended time.
Thing is, I really like to drive. I can’t imagine getting to a point in life where I wouldn’t be able to, but if you live long enough eye-hand coordination tends to degrade.
What worries me about a car that could drive itself is that it could open up opportunities for people, such as terrorists to use them as self guided ground missiles.
It may sound a bit far fetched, but the FBI is worried as well. They released a statement this week warning developers of the potential.
The FBI is also concerned that a self-driving car could be used as a get away vehicle for criminals
I can’t agree with that being too much of a possibility.
Any such vehicle would have to be connected with the Internet and GPS because in order for the car to know its current location on the planet, and thereby navigate to its destination, it would need to be wirelessly connected.
What does that mean?
In one word, killswitch. Any device connected to the Internet can be hacked, and turned off, potentially by law enforcement.
As technology advances, our lives may become a bit easier, but at the same time those advances also create new hurdles and concerns to overcome and address.