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Pieter B.J. Ijzerman

Robots and Artificial Intelligence in driving our vehicles, a reflection.


Sometimes I like to take a drive in the car to calm my mind. For me, driving offers a unique form of solitude and focus, a way to escape the clutter in my head. I choose scenic routes through Alentejo, away from the busy streets of the city of Lisbon, where the beauty of the landscape merges with the rhythm of the road. But let's be real—driving isn't always a peaceful escape.


Think about it: millions of car accidents occur every year, leading to an exorbitant cost in human suffering, not to mention the economic costs and strain on resources. Driving can be monotonous, uncomfortable and unhealthy (endless hours sitting behind the wheel) and, let's not forget, inefficient. Our ability to pay attention has its limits, we need breaks, making long trips even longer.


We then enter the world of AI and robotics, where the future of driving is not just imagined, but is already happening. Watch the video, it will surprise you. And there are no tricks, the car is completely autonomous. Imagine being in a car that goes so smoothly and



as carefully as an experienced human driver. This isn't science fiction—it's the reality of advanced Artificial Intelligence systems designed to navigate the complexities of the road with almost frightening ease.


The car anticipates and reacts to potential dangers, such as the erratic behavior of another vehicle, with a calmness that is both impressive and reassuring. Throughout a trip (there are longer videos, just look for FSD 12.3 on YouTube), the driver is there more for moral support than anything else, he does not need to intervene.


The ride is smooth, safe and surprisingly comfortable. This system was fed with video clips showing humans making all the right moves on the road. From these videos, the AI distills the essence of prudent driving decisions and applies them as if it were an experienced driver. With billions of kilometers of driving data at its disposal, the system quickly exceeds the level of experience any human could hope to achieve in a lifetime.


This AI doesn’t just mimic human decision-making; it evolves, drawing knowledge from a collective experience and knowledge that grows with each mile travelled by the fleet. It's like having the collective wisdom of thousands of drivers behind the wheel, ensuring that even the most unforeseen events are managed elegantly.


So while we may cherish the moments of clarity that come from driving ourselves, the future promises something perhaps even more valuable: the freedom to truly relax, think and enjoy the journey, entrusting the intricacies of navigation to a system that learns from other journeys. autonomous and thinks like us, only with the added benefit of superhuman reflexes and an ever-vigilant eye on the road ahead.

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