General Motors draws a line under its dream of robotaxis. Following a serious accident at its Cruise subsidiary in San Francisco, the automobile giant is ending this activity. What does this failure reveal about the future of autonomous driving? Will regulations become tougher? Deciphering a decision with significant meaning for the sector…
It's a bolt from the blue in the automotive industry. The American giant General Motors has just announced the complete abandonment of its robotaxis activity, these autonomous vehicles intended for transporting passengers in the city. A radical decision which follows a serious accident that occurred at the end of 2023 in San Francisco, involving a vehicle from Cruise, the GM subsidiary specializing in autonomous driving.
According to a source close to the matter, the incident revealed serious malfunctions in the management of emergency situations by the autonomous driving software. The Cruise robotaxi would have in fact rolled over an already injured pedestrian, dragging her for several meters, without the remote supervision teams being able to regain control of the vehicle in time.
A snub for General Motors and autonomous driving
Following this tragic event, authorities immediately revoked Cruise's robotaxis operating license. A snub for GM, which has invested billions of dollars in this technology, seeing in it the future of urban mobility. The company had to resolve to put an end to this part of activity and to lay off a quarter of Cruise's workforceor nearly 900 people.
Beyond the General Motors case, the entire autonomous driving industry is being shaken. This accident calls into question the maturity of current technologies and their ability to guarantee flawless safety in all situations. Voices are being raised to call for tougher regulations and testing protocols for autonomous vehicles.
The case also raises thorny questions of legal liability in the event of an accident involving an autonomous vehicle. Who is responsible? The car manufacturer, the publisher of the autonomous driving software, the owner of the vehicle? Insurance companies are already working on new contracts adapted to these unprecedented situations.
This accident is an electric shock for the entire sector. We will have to be extra careful and probably review the robotaxis deployment schedules. Safety must take precedence over the race for innovation.
An executive from the automotive sector
What future for autonomous driving?
Despite this setback, most experts remain convinced that autonomous driving will eventually prevail. The expected benefits are too great in terms of road safety, traffic flow and reduction of polluting emissions. But the road will undoubtedly be longer than expected.
- In the short term, we can expect a strengthening of regulatory requirements and controls on experiments with autonomous vehicles on open roads.
- Automakers and tech companies will have to review their investment priorities and strategic partnerships in this area.
- New technological approaches, relying more on human supervision and explainable artificial intelligence, could emerge to restore trust.
One thing is certain: autonomous driving remains a major industrial and societal issue of the coming decades. Despite this setback, the race for innovation continues, with players like Tesla, Waymo (Alphabet) and Baidu asserting their ambition in this market. But Cruise's accident in San Francisco will remain as a warning: in this sensitive area, we cannot compromise with the imperatives of safety and social acceptability.
The dream of robotaxis accessible to the general public everywhere in the city today seems more distant and uncertain. However, the revolution in autonomous and connected mobility is underway. In forms undoubtedly different from those initially imagined, with applications initially limited to certain uses and controlled environments. It will take time to build trust and tame this technology which carries promises, but also risks that cannot be ignored.
The legal liability issues in question
The case also raises thorny questions of legal liability in the event of an accident involving an autonomous vehicle. Who is responsible? The car manufacturer, the publisher of the autonomous driving software, the owner of the vehicle? Insurance companies are already working on new contracts adapted to these unprecedented situations.
This accident is an electric shock for the entire sector. We will have to be extra careful and probably review the robotaxis deployment schedules. Safety must take precedence over the race for innovation.
An executive from the automotive sector
What future for autonomous driving?
Despite this setback, most experts remain convinced that autonomous driving will eventually prevail. The expected benefits are too great in terms of road safety, traffic flow and reduction of polluting emissions. But the road will undoubtedly be longer than expected.
- In the short term, we can expect a strengthening of regulatory requirements and controls on experiments with autonomous vehicles on open roads.
- Automakers and tech companies will have to review their investment priorities and strategic partnerships in this area.
- New technological approaches, relying more on human supervision and explainable artificial intelligence, could emerge to restore trust.
One thing is certain: autonomous driving remains a major industrial and societal issue of the coming decades. Despite this setback, the race for innovation continues, with players like Tesla, Waymo (Alphabet) and Baidu asserting their ambition in this market. But Cruise's accident in San Francisco will remain as a warning: in this sensitive area, we cannot compromise with the imperatives of safety and social acceptability.
The dream of robotaxis accessible to the general public everywhere in the city today seems more distant and uncertain. However, the revolution in autonomous and connected mobility is underway. In forms undoubtedly different from those initially imagined, with applications initially limited to certain uses and controlled environments. It will take time to build trust and tame this technology which carries promises, but also risks that cannot be ignored.
The legal liability issues in question
The case also raises thorny questions of legal liability in the event of an accident involving an autonomous vehicle. Who is responsible? The car manufacturer, the publisher of the autonomous driving software, the owner of the vehicle? Insurance companies are already working on new contracts adapted to these unprecedented situations.
This accident is an electric shock for the entire sector. We will have to be extra careful and probably review the robotaxis deployment schedules. Safety must take precedence over the race for innovation.
An executive from the automotive sector
What future for autonomous driving?
Despite this setback, most experts remain convinced that autonomous driving will eventually prevail. The expected benefits are too great in terms of road safety, traffic flow and reduction of polluting emissions. But the road will undoubtedly be longer than expected.
- In the short term, we can expect a strengthening of regulatory requirements and controls on experiments with autonomous vehicles on open roads.
- Automakers and tech companies will have to review their investment priorities and strategic partnerships in this area.
- New technological approaches, relying more on human supervision and explainable artificial intelligence, could emerge to restore trust.
One thing is certain: autonomous driving remains a major industrial and societal issue of the coming decades. Despite this setback, the race for innovation continues, with players like Tesla, Waymo (Alphabet) and Baidu asserting their ambition in this market. But Cruise's accident in San Francisco will remain as a warning: in this sensitive area, we cannot compromise with the imperatives of safety and social acceptability.
The dream of robotaxis accessible to the general public everywhere in the city today seems more distant and uncertain. However, the revolution in autonomous and connected mobility is underway. In forms undoubtedly different from those initially imagined, with applications initially limited to certain uses and controlled environments. It will take time to build trust and tame this technology which carries promises, but also risks that cannot be ignored.
