How New A.I. Is Making the Law's Definition of Hacking Obsolete

Imagine you're cruising in your new Tesla, autopilot engaged. Suddenly you feel yourself veer into the other lane, and you grab the wheel just in time to avoid an oncoming car. When you pull over, pulse still racing, and look over the scene, it all seems normal. But upon closer inspection, you notice a series of translucent stickers leading away from the dotted lane divider. And to your Tesla, these stickers represent a non-existent bend in the road that could have killed you. In April this year, a research team at the Chinese tech giant Tencent showed that a Tesla Model S in autopilot mode could be tricked into following a bend in the road that didn't exist simply by adding stickers to the road in a particular pattern.