Ringvorlesung - Self-Driving Cars - Are we there yet?

Self-driving cars have been a dream of society from almost the time of invention. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), this dream has seemingly become reality with driverless commercial operations in a handful of cities around the world. However, given the recent tragic accident involving a pedestrian and a Cruise self-driving car, as well as multiple high-profile Tesla crashes, the reality that such systems may not actually be as capable as envisioned is slowly creeping into the public’s consciousness. Given these concerns, it is important to step back and analyze just why AI is struggling to operate safely in autonomous vehicles. This talk will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of AI in self-driving cars, as well as in all safety-critical applications, and lay out a roadmap for safe integration of these technologies on public roadways.