It Looks Like Uber’s Self Driving Technology Needs Some Work

Zach Riley

February 25, 2017

It’s a rough week for on-demand ride company Uber, as new documents released from internal sources show that the self-driving technology in Uber’s vehicles was at fault when an Uber SUV ran a red light back in December. The issue was apparently with the mapping technology featured in the self-driving cars that kept the car from recognizing several red lights.This is a major issue with a technology that many governments and drivers are already wary about. While self-driving technology has generally been shown to be as safe or safer than human drivers, there’s a huge liability issue on the rare occasions that the technology makes an error. Uber could be on the line for millions if there’s an accident with their self-driving cars at fault, and there won’t be any driver on whom to place the blame.

This is a major issue with a technology that many governments and drivers are already wary about. While self-driving technology has generally been shown to be as safe or safer than human drivers, there’s a huge liability issue on the rare occasions that the technology makes an error. Uber could be on the line for millions if there’s an accident with their self-driving cars at fault, and there won’t be any driver on whom to place the blame.

This news comes at the end of a rough week for Uber, as Google accused the company earlier this week of stealing technology and there have been claims of sexism within the company’s infrastructure. While it’s unlikely that these setbacks alone will make much of a dent in the company’s pocket, the negative PR back to back must definitely have them scrambling. Only time will tell if their business model will stand the test of time or if competitors will start to edge in on the market. Take a look at the red light video here.