Many are worried about president-elect Donald Trump. They see in his rise the portents of disaster. They fear this dye-job disaster may send our big blue marble into oblivion. It's a disturbing possibility.
Yet there is an upside.
If the Trumpocalypse does occur, then at least the world will be spared some of the automotive "advances" being touted by car designers and manufacturers. One such advance is the advent of "empathetic" cars that can use artificial intelligence to ascertain a driver's spirit and disposition, and then cater to said moods. Earlier this month in Las Vegas at CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, Toyota unveiled its Concept-i car that is equipped with "Yui," an artificial-intelligence bot that studies a driver's habits. The Concept-i slogan is, "Less of a machine. More of a pal."
"Yui learns from us, grows with us, builds a relationship that's meaningful and emotional," Bob Carter, Toyota senior vice-president, automotive operations, told the CES crowd. "Yui learns our preferences and our lifestyles and remembers where we like to go, pays attention to whether we're happy or sad and helps in ways that are both big and small."
The Washington Post reported that Yui collects data, such as "pupil dilation, perspiration rate and vocal tone to assess the driver's emotional state." It will also comb social media to "create 'serendipitous' moments, such as recognizing that friends have checked into a local restaurant and suggesting a stop there to grab a bite as well."
So, if I understand this correctly, one day I'm going to be in a co-dependent relationship with my Toyota? Our bond will be so strong that we will develop a "mutual affection." Call me old-fashioned, but I still remember a time when men were men and machines were machines. In the Bible, it's "Adam and Eve" not "Adam and Yui."
The push toward empathetic vehicles comes from a desire to make them less "cold, robotic and sterile." Wow, Toyota, you make that sound like a bad thing. People who love cars and driving love them precisely because they are "cold, robotic and sterile." We love the "new-car smell" not the "nurturing, supportive car smell."
My car has no idea what kind of a day I've had and doesn't care, and that's why I like it. That's why my car and I get along. That's why I've always gotten along with cars. We have an understanding. My car doesn't pry into my personal life. We keep it real. I don't have to feel guilty for not communicating with it. I don't need a car that's going to say, "You like coffee, right? Do you want to stop for coffee? We don't have to stop if you don't want to but I just thought you might want to stop for coffee, but if you don't want to stop that's okay, too."
There's certainly an upside to vehicles with artificial intelligence. If employed correctly, they could help greatly reduce or even eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries. An empathetic car equipped with Yui might be advantageous. For instance, it could conceivably sense if the driver is too upset to drive safely.
But there is one heck of a potential downside. Who wants to have their "well-being" "monitored" by their car? When I hear the words, "Yui learns our preferences and our lifestyles and remembers where we like to go, pays attention to whether we're happy or sad," I think, sorry, but if you're a human being, that's exactly the kind of behaviour that gets "Yui" hit with a restraining order.
Besides, our present in-car and cellphone artificial intelligence is bad enough. When I ask my mobile device to call "Danforth Pizza House," it usually says something like, "Calling: Van Furth Cheats a Spouse."
The prospect of one day having my car try to cure my bad mood by saying, "You seem a bit down, Andrew. I'll dull the interior lights and play U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday to cheer you up" sends a cold chill down my spine.
So, the next time you get in your car and it doesn't ask you how your day was, savour the moment and give a little thanks for cold, hard, unfeeling steel.
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Andrew Clark