In 2021 as part of President Biden’s large scale infrastructure bill, was a proposal to modernise road infrastructure by providing vehicle to everything (V2X) technology. This would involve equipping bicycles (and potentially pedestrians) with transponder beacons that can be spotted automatically by sensor-equipped cars [RE21].
The case of this transformation appears to be that the technology will dramatically improve safety and reduce deaths on the road — cars, and in particular autonomous cars, could detect vulnerable road users and avoid accidents. Yet, it also raises questions as to whose life is to be safeguarded in this scenario.
Rightly so, people have already pointed out how exclusionary realising such vision would be. So that for this to work – everyone would need a smart phone, or beacons (pedestrian or cars alike). It would be those who can’t afford the technology whose life will be at greater risk (as highlighted in the article [RE21]). Bringing such vision to life, would also shift risk and responsibility for road accidents onto those who do not wear such beacons (by voluntary or enforced choice due to socio-economics). Furthermore, this then makes the possession of such a beacon virtually mandatory with all the attendant risk of pervasive surveillance.
More broadly (and paradoxically perhaps) the proposals appear to be centred on designing infrastructures that work for AI and the privilege of owning a driverless car, a mobile phone or beacon technology—rather than people. Where, in this vision, those who will suffer the most are those who are already economically marginalised and excluded in our societies. It also begs the question as to the necessity of such innovations and their ecological implications, in a time where innovating towards net-zero should be of critical importance. Who or what might benefit from AI innovations? Whose interests are being served?
References
[RE21] Carlton Reid (2021). Biden’s $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Hastens Beacons For Bicyclists And Pedestrians Enabling Detection By Connected Cars. Forbes, Nov 6, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2021/11/06/bidens-12-trillion-infrastructure-bill-hastens-beacon-wearing-for-bicyclists-and-pedestrians-to-enable-detection-by-connected-cars/?sh=5e9fce735a3d