Driverless cars risk being racist, new research suggests

A new study that found self-driving cars could be more likely to crash into pedestrians with dark skin has raised concerns among experts in the UAE. Academics said the research could indicate Gulf nationals would be more at risk from being hit by autonomous vehicles, without improvements to software. A recent paper, published by the Georgia Institute of Technology, found detection systems were better at recognising lighter skin tones than dark. The intriguing issue has also raised questions over whether traditional dress, such as the black abaya or white kandura, may also confuse existing technology. "I would exercise some caution until the study is peer-reviewed but it could have significant implications," said Lakmal Seneviratne, Professor of Robotics at Khalifa University.