Humans ‘will be banned from driving cars within next 25 years’
The chief executive of Oldham-based energy company Energi Mine has predicted humans will be banned from driving cars within the next 25 years.
Speaking at the Internet of Things (IoT) Congress in Barcelone, Omar Rahim said the ban was “inevitable and will save thousands of lives”.
Rahim was appearing alongside humanoid robot, Sophia, at the IoT congress, which showcased how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to benefit humanity.
“This is not the stuff of science fiction,” he said. “Our biggest hurdle is not developing the technical ability to implement this change – it is government regulation to allow innovators to lead us in to a new era in travel.”
The UK has already followed many other European countries by announcing a ban on petrol and diesel vehicles in 2040.
“The key driver behind this decision is the damaging impact petrol and diesel cars have on the quality of our air and environment. However, governments have missed the point. We should be banning humans from driving altogether,” said Rahim.
“Even 10 years ago, the ability to hail taxis on our phones within minutes would have been unimaginable.
“In 20 years, imagine explaining to a child that adults used to drive 2 tonnes of metal at 70mph on roads in the pouring rain, relying on human judgement for guidance. It will be like trying to explain to a child today what a public telephone box is.
“What makes us human is our complex nature, our propensity to let emotion affect our decision-making. In many walks of life this is a great asset – and ones that machines do not yet possess. In relation to driving it is downright dangerous.”
He said: “Machines can be programmed to process information much faster than humans, as well as make decisions based on physics and mathematics alone. Taking humans out of the equation will lead to safer roads for both passengers and pedestrians.
“There will be a drastic reduction in accidents due to the rule-based algorithms that autonomous vehicles will adhere to.”
Energi Mine, founded in 2016, uses advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain to trade and manage energy on behalf of blue-chip clients.
