Road transport is currently an area on the doorstep of a couple of groundbreaking technological advancements, unique since the start of mass motorism. Besides the likely switch from fossil fuels to vehicles running solely on electricity, we are now seeing more and more implementations of self-driving technology in our cars (although mostly in the form of driver assists and lower levels of autonomy). While the promise of safer and more efficient roads is tantalizing, the profound impact of this transformation extends far beyond the realm of technology. How will the widespread implementation actually impact society from a social justice perspective?
One of the primary concerns regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs) is that they could widen economic disparities. As these vehicles become more prevalent, there’s a risk that low-income individuals and communities may be left behind. The cost of purchasing or utilizing AVs might be prohibitive for those already struggling financially, pushing them further away from access to convenient and efficient transportation options.
Exacerbating income disparities
The wealthy will enjoy the majority of the benefits of AVs without active, purposeful, and
intentional guidance from those in charge of transportation systems. Without intervention, AVs will primarily help wealthy people who seek personal convenience and leisurely travel, even if they have access to public transportation. On-demand ride sharing AVs are likely only sustainable in densely populated areas and cities. They may seek to remove infrastructure related to vehicles, but instead the cities will be forced to deal with even more private vehicles from suburban commuters, leading to more car-centric city planning (Wallace, 2017). Those in favor of self-driving vehicles claim that the added benefit of accessible transportation will narrow the socioeconomic divide between urban and suburban areas, but AVs risk making it worse without good policies.
In most of the world, poor people walk, cycle, or ride in the back of a truck or bus, while wealthy people drive (or depending on how rich – chauffeured). This privilege is further demonstrated by the uneven development of the built environment which sustains inequality. A road system used by citizens with access to a car already excludes a significant number of people, they are also built where there is an effective demand, either political or economical, for them (Sparrow & Howard, 2020). This means where those wealthy enough to own a car will want to go. For this reason, road systems also privilege the wealthy as opposed to the poor when it comes to serving their needs for transport .
We are already used to, or at least put up with, people paying for privileged access in air travel. Direct routes are more expensive than slower options, space onboard is allocated according to ticket price and class and so on. The truly wealthy are whisked between luxurious airport lounges, limousines, and private jets at separate terminals far away from the masses. Considering that this is accepted as commonplace, why wouldn’t the same principles be able to be applied to the road without major controversy?
For example, AVs present new opportunities for addressing traffic congestion through flexible traffic control schemes, i.e. running auctions at intersections to determine the order in which drivers perform conflicting movements (Carlin & Boyles, 2013). While infeasible for human drivers, AVs are capable of quickly and seamlessly bidding on behalf of human passengers. That is, what if you could purchase the right to always get first-priority in an intersection when you drive a luxury car?
Inequality and invisible privilege
The adoption of AVs will change the demand for labor, conceptions of private vehicle ownership, and urban land use.The widespread adoption of AVs has the potential to disrupt the transportations sector as a whole. Truck drivers, taxi drivers, and delivery personnel are among those whose jobs could be at risk. These disruptions could lead to job loss and economic hardship for workers who rely on these professions, potentially creating new inequalities and challenges in the labor market. While the doomsayers were considerably louder a few years ago, we’ve now recognised that we still have a long way to go until we can sleep in our car on the way to work.
In the U.S., the transportation industry itself employs 3.2% of workers (Wallace, 2017), but introduction of AVs threatens jobs in every sector of the economy. Autonomous trucks do not just threaten drivers’ jobs but also jobs such as in hotels and restaurants along large highways. Job losses due to AVs are only part of a much larger looming unemployment crisis. Automation, and AI in particular, is displacing human labor and intelligence in every type of job.
Furthermore, the development and adoption of AV technology could create a digital divide, where those who can afford and understand this technology thrive, while others struggle to adapt. Individuals and communities with limited access to technology or digital literacy resources may find themselves marginalized in an increasingly AV-dependent world.
Commercial autonomous taxis could improve health care access and lead to better treatment outcomes. With the potential to significantly reduce road crashes, AVs could revolutionize road transport by shifting the focus in auto safety from treating injuries after collision to complete prevention (Nunes et al, 2020). As the poor tend to have fewer transportation options and worse crash outcomes compared to the rich, the transition to AVs could reduce health inequalities. This, of course, depends on the cost and availability of autonomous vehicles to those with lower income.
On the other hand, people facing disabilities, the elderly, and low-income individuals living in areas devoid of affordable and easily accessible public transportation. For them, particularly on-demand ride-sharing programs and public transportation systems, have the potential to enhance access to job opportunities, medical services, and social support. This will make it easier for cities to offer public transportation options, such as autonomous buses, to currently underserved neighborhoods. By ensuring reliable and cost-effective transportation, more people will gain access to employment. This also means that elderly and disabled individuals looking for employment can prolong their working lives and maintain social connections.
Concerns about the social and psychological impacts of inequality are, for the most part, premised on the idea that people will be aware of when they are being treated unequally. However, as noted previously, some of the ways wealthy people can benefit from the design of transport and its infrastructure remain unseen (Sparrow & Howard, 2020). For example, congestion taxes in Stockholm render inner city roads unavailable to those who cannot afford to pay the tax.
Of all the perspectives on development – alongside economic, political and environmental – social development is the most difficult to pin down because it runs the risk of being a “catch all” for everything not explicitly covered by other types of development (Heeks, 2017). And how should we reach a sustainable approach to self-driving vehicles? Utilizing the free market or via government intervention? If the latter, should resources be spent on making it easier to do the “right” thing or on legislation?
Data & analytics from AVs
Autonomous cars will generate a lot of data, including location information, sensor data, and user preferences. AVs often communicate with other vehicles, infrastructure, and cloud services to improve safety and efficiency. While data sharing is essential, it raises concerns about who has access to this information and how it is used. We will need both secure ways of storing this information, but also safety measures to prevent unauthorized access. People must trust that their data is safe when using autonomous vehicles, regardless of their background.
The rise of big data analytics has created new opportunities for extracting insights and value. It was once seen as a promising, fact-based method for improving governance and public services. However, critical data studies (Hintz et al, 2023) have shown that data is not neutral but shaped by interests and cultures, often used to consolidate power and discriminate. Data can construct, not just represent, society. Increased surveillance and monitoring through big data pose risks, from discrimination to preemptive governance, challenging democratic processes.
As autonomous vehicles become more prevalent, the need for addressing these issues becomes increasingly important,
The way forward
To ensure that all these considerations are made when designing policies for self-driving vehicles, we need proper participation from all areas of the population, not just the tech-fanatics and those looking to make a profit. I raise the same question as Hintz et al (2023), how do we maintain and expand civic participation in a context of rapid technological and social transformation, and how do we develop new democratic processes to ensure participation, transparency, and accountability?
However, with policies we can aid in the development away from benefitting a privileged few, to making transportation more accessible to all. The AI revolution will require significant social equity policy to increase access for disadvantaged groups (Emory et al, 2022). Transportation planners, policymakers and government officials have the power to shape this shift and create well-informed plans for all these emerging technologies.
To make autonomous vehicles accessible to a wider audience, we must address the cost barrier. Together we can collaborate to drive down the production and operational costs. Subsidies and incentives can also be provided to lower-income individuals, ensuring they have access to autonomous transportation through low-cost alternatives. However, with the rise of the neoliberal agenda of privatization, driven in large part by the belief that the private sector can deliver such services more cost effectively and efficiently (Unwin, 2017), we risk leaving a large portion of the population behind when autonomous cars start rolling down our streets.
Policies for autonomous vehicles must prioritize accessibility and inclusivity. This means addressing the needs of all segments of society, including those with physical disabilities, low-income communities, and underserved rural areas. Crafting policies for this is of course a multifaceted challenge. Balancing technological advancement with ethical considerations, accessibility, job displacement, and environmental impact.
The future of AVs is uncertain: developers, scientists, and policymakers all predict a number of potential futures. Hopefully this blog post has highlighted some of the social effects and implications of their implementation. Even though cars that are fully self-driving (level 4 or 5 on autonomy) are likely at least a decade away, we must start addressing and discussing some of the potential issues now. The experts understanding the role of new technologies need to engage and guide the public regarding this, to ensure we can all reap the benefits of AVs.
Reflections and conclusion
While I do spend a lot of time writing in my professional life, everything from articles, scripts, reports and so on – I’ve never been much of a blogger or engaged in long Twitter/X discussions. This exercise has been very interesting to challenge that habit, as blogging of course demands a very different type of writing. So far I’ve written about the danger and inequalities regarding algorithms and AI for LGBT+ individuals, as well as the potential benefits for AI within development and humanitarian work. The hazards and potential inequalities have been further expanded upon in this post and I hope it has given some perspective to the debate and arrival of AVs. Despite having different topics each time I still hope they have underlined the importance of representation and participation from a wide array of people when designing, building, implementing, and creating policies for AI. We still don’t know the full effects and the technology will only accelerate from here.
The group project went well and I enjoyed reading everyone’s perspective on datafication/AI/Social media. I think we complemented each other by having a slightly different approach to the same topic, so we didn’t really repeat ourselves too much. I believe many of the issues brought up in this blog – data, AI, and ethics surrounding them – will only become more important. While they may simplify many things, they bring a lot of ethical dilemmas to consider, on a micro and macro scale.
References
Carlino, Dustin, Stephen D Boyles, and Peter Stone (2013) “Auction-Based Autonomous Intersection Management.”. 16th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems-(ITSC).
Emory, Katie, Douma, Frank, Cao, Jason (2022), “Autonomous vehicle policies with equity implications: Patterns and gaps”, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Volume 13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2021.100521.
Heeks, R. 2017: Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Abingdon: Routledge.
Hintz, A., Dencik, L., Redden, J., & Trere, E. (2023). Civic Participation in the Datafied Society| Civic Participation in the Datafied Society—Introduction. International Journal Of Communication, 17, 13. Retrieved from https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/21453
Nunes A, Harper S, Hernandez KD. (2020) The Price Isn’t Right: Autonomous Vehicles, Public Health, and Social Justice. Am J Public Health. Jun;110(6):796-797. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2020.305608. PMID: 32374683; PMCID: PMC7204440.
Sparrow, Robert & Howard, Mark (2020) “Make way for the wealthy? Autonomous vehicles, markets in mobility, and social justice” Mobilities, DOI:10.1080/17450101.2020.1739832
Unwin, T. (2017) Reclaiming Information & Communication Technologies for Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wallace, Rachel. (2017) Mobility: The Socioeconomic Implications of Autonomous Vehicles. University of Michigan