Driverless taxis appear in London, but are they trustworthy?

London has taken another step towards an autonomous future as the capital’s first self-driving taxis become available to hire through the Uber app.

The Wayve vehicles will still initially operate with a human safety driver ready to take control if required, but their arrival marks significant change in the way Londoners could travel around the capital, and raises questions about how comfortable passengers will be with putting their journey in the hands of AI.

Sten Saar, CEO and founder of Zego, says the introduction of autonomous taxis could change the passenger experience as much as it changes the role of the driver:

“London’s first self-driving taxis mark an important moment for the future of urban transport, but for passengers, the biggest change may be physiological: getting into a taxi and knowing the person sitting behind the wheel is not actually driving it.

“For passengers, trust will be a huge part of the transition to autonomous travel. Even if the technology is designed to respond to hazards and make decisions on the road, many people will understandably want to know what happens if something goes wrong and who is ultimately responsible for their safety.

“The presence of a human safety driver provides an important middle ground as this technology is introduced, allowing passengers to experience autonomous driving while still having someone to intervene if necessary. But as the technology develops,the industry will need to consider how passengers understand and interact with vehicles where there is no traditional driver in control.

“This is where insurance also becomes important. If the AI is driving but a human is still responsible for intervening, the traditional relationship between passenger, driver, vehicle and insurer becomes much less straightforward. As autonomous taxis become more common, clear responsibilities will be essential to maintaining passenger confidence in the technology.”

As autonomous vehicles start to appear more frequently on UK roads, the passenger experience is likely to become an increasingly important factor in their adoption.

While the technology could eventually make autonomous taxis an everyday part of urban travel, building public confidence will be just as important as developing the technology itself.