A new U.S. consumer study published by Intel claims most Americans expect a self-driving future, even if many currently harbor fear and uncertainty about the technology. The study surveyed U.S. consumers and found that only 21% of Americans would swap their car for an autonomous vehicle (AV) today, even though 63% expect such vehicles to be the norm in 50 years (see related infographic in gallery, above).
 
“We must bridge the gap between acceptance of today’s advanced driving assist features and full autonomy,” said Jack Weast, Intel senior principal engineer and vice president of AV Standards at Mobileye. “Today, passengers are asked to blindly trust a manufacturer’s ‘black box’ safety approach. What is needed is for the industry and policymakers to rally around a transparent safety model that builds trust between humans and machines.”
 
Nearly half of U.S. consumers surveyed (43%) said they don’t feel safe around AVs, with women more fearful than men. At the same time, according to the study, more than half of U.S. consumers look forward to the day when they won’t have to drive and expect to be using their “car time” for entertainment or work within 50 years.
 
When asked what they expect to do in an autonomous vehicle in the next 50 years, entertaining (58%) and socializing (57%) just pipped work (56%) for what surveyed group would do with the extra time. Other expected activities among those polled included hosting meetings (33%), grooming (26%) and time for exercise (14%).
 
This latest study released by Intel is a follow-on to its 2018 “Next 50” Study sponsored by Intel and developed by PSB, and its 2017 Passenger Economy report conducted by Strategy Analytics, which found that self-driving vehicles have the potential to save 585,000 lives from 2035 to 2045, and create a new economy (see video, below) worth $7 trillion.

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