Professor demands Self Driving Cars Need Further Testing

In the year 2021, an engineer named Missy Cummings became the target of criticism from Elon Musk on Twitter. Cummings, a professor at Duke University, had conducted research on the safety of self driving cars which led her to issue warnings about Tesla’s driver-assistance technology. She expressed concerns about the “variable and often unsafe behaviors” exhibited by Tesla cars and emphasized self driving cars need further testing before allowing such technology to operate without human control. Based on her research, Cummings was appointed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to contribute to the regulation of autonomous vehicles.

However, Tesla fans reacted strongly to Cummings’ appointment, believing that she would unfairly regulate Elon Musk’s company. Musk himself joined the Twitter thread, stating that Cummings’ track record was biased against Tesla. In response, his supporters launched a series of attacks on Cummings, including making threats against her life. Nonetheless, Cummings, who had previously flown fighter jets for the Navy, remained resilient and undeterred by the negative comments. She posted the worst threats on LinkedIn, hired personal security, and continued her fight.

A Battle lost But the War is on

Although Cummings did not emerge victorious from this confrontation, facing backlash from Tesla supporters resulted in the NHTSA compelling her to recuse herself from any matters concerning the company. She subsequently accepted a position at George Mason University and expanded her research to include all self driving vehicles. Her recent controversial paper concludes that self driving taxis are four to eight times more likely to be involved in a crash compared to human driven cars. Furthermore, self driving vehicles have caused traffic congestion, obstructed emergency vehicles, and even stopped on top of individuals who had already been hit by human -driven cars. Cummings asserts that these problems are not limited to Tesla and have been predicted for years within the self driving car community.

This is Not Missy Cummings first Rodeo

Cummings’ experience as one of the Navy’s first female fighter pilots equipped her to handle the criticism she faced from Tesla enthusiasts. In her memoir, “Hornet’s Nest,” published in 1999, Cummings recalls her love for flying jets and the thrill of being catapulted off and landing on aircraft carriers. However, she also highlights the unwelcoming environment she encountered, where sexual harassment was common and male colleagues questioned her ability to fly fighter jets due to her gender. One incident exemplifies the gender bias she faced when she and another female officer were asked to wear Hooters uniforms and drive beer carts during a golf tournament on the naval base. Cummings declined the request.

Cummings’ time as a Navy pilot also exposed her to the hidden dangers of machines, automation, and user interfaces. Witnessing accidents and fatalities during her training period made her realize that even advanced technology like helicopters was not flawless, relying on the same sensors used in self driving cars. Recognizing the limits of these sensors, Cummings understood the serious issues present in autonomous vehicles.

The dangers that go with self driving cars

According to Cummings, the dangers that go with self driving cars are not solely technical but also sociotechnical. She believes that Silicon Valley’s hypermasculine culture and the disruptive mindset of Big Tech companies encourage them to neglect safety concerns in their pursuit of progress. When women, like Cummings, voice criticisms, they often face misogyny and resistance from these male dominated companies. While there have been advances in gender equality in the military, Cummings asserts that the oppressive culture of Silicon Valley companies reflects societal progress has not been as significant as anticipated.

Cummings cites an example of Waymo, where the head of safety promoted an unpublished and non peer reviewed study on LinkedIn to argue that their self driving cars were safer than human controlled vehicles. Cummings, armed with her own research, similarly in preprint form, contradicted Waymo’s claims and posted her opposite findings on LinkedIn. This led to a confrontation with Kyle Vogt, the CEO of Cruise, who questioned her analysis and offered to discuss it further. Cummings responded by challenging Vogt’s understanding of basic statistics and computer vision, highlighting the responsibilities of a safe and responsible CEO. While women seemed to appreciate Cummings’ assertiveness, some men in Silicon Valley believed she had been overly harsh.

The debate between Cummings and the technology driven companies

Determining who is correct in the debate between Cummings and the technology driven companies is difficult due to the lack of reliable data on the safety of autonomous vehicles. Cummings had to search national crash data from NHTSA to compare with California-specific data where self driving cars were operational. She discovered that Cruise had eight nonfatal crashes for every human controlled crash, while Waymo had four, comparable to the crash rates of tired and over worked drivers at ride hail services such as Uber and Lyft. Companies that provide self driving taxi services dispute Cummings’ claims, asserting that the numbers for human crashes are under estimated.

In conclusion, Missy Cummings, an expert in automation and AI, has faced criticism and problems for her research on the safety of self driving cars. Her experience as a fighter pilot in the Navy and her following work in teaching have skilled her to handle problems and continue fighting for improved safety regulations in autonomous vehicles. While her findings might be disputed by companies in the autonomous vehicle industry, Cummings remains steadfast in her belief that self driving cars need further testing and improved safety measures are necessary before allowing self driving cars to operate without human control.

Auto News