FBI Is Worried Bad Guys Will Use Self Driving Cars As 'Lethal Weapons'

As autonomous vehicles look to become a big part of our future, you can bet that the FBI has exhaustively looked at both its pros and cons. The pros of course are obvious; people could be driven around without effort on their behalf, officers could let the car drive itself while they focus on their PC, and of course, there should be far fewer accidents.

So, what about the downsides? At the forefront, the FBI fears that self-driving cars will make it easier for criminals to get their job done. I'm sure you can envision a slew of scenarios here, but one specifically highlighted is using the cars as getaway vehicles. This is an especially scary thought when you think that a self-driving car would allow a driver to easier deal with a shootout. Yes, this sounds like something from a Hollywood movie, but it's actually something that could happen.

Other scenarios can be even scarier. Picture an autonomous vehicle that has had its safety features overridden (I'm sure there will be protections in place, but... we know how things go). Criminals could then use these cars to cause collisions, or worse, terrorists could use them to deliver a fatal payload to a location of their choice.

On the flipside, the FBI is looking forward to a couple of benefits that these vehicles will bring. For starters, it says that the number of accidents that require first-responders would be reduced, as would be accidents caused by distractions or poor judgement. Nothing's news here, but it's at least good to know that the FBI isn't trying to discredit their use.

Are you personally looking forward to autonomous vehicles, or perhaps even owning one? Or do you envision yourself sticking with manual driving for as long as possible?