Autonomy in the Age of Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract

This essay describes intertwined policy challenges related to autonomous vehicle data. The policy goals of promoting privacy, safety, competition, and commerce are all so deeply intertwined, I conclude, that they must be understood and addressed together. This essay does not attempt to solve the problem. Instead, it presents a descriptive snapshot of the current state of play in the industry and closes by raising a set of questions. I hope these questions will prompt useful discussions among policy experts and the public.

Keywords: Autonomous Vehicles, Self-Driving Cars, Driverless Cars, Data Policy, Transportation, Innovation Policy, Data Transactions, Transportation Policy, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, AI, Data Pools, Data Pooling, Big Data

JEL Classification: O34, D45, O31, O32, K32