BACKGROUND David A. Shamma is a distinguished industry scientist researching people, AI, and HCI. As a curious child armed with a screwdriver, I disassembled things. I was interested in seeing how devices clicked together. On more than one occasion, a random spring would jettison out of the device and get me in trouble. Other times, I hoped my experiments went unnoticed.

Self-driving vehicles will become legal on the UK's roads later this year, albeit with some initial restrictions. The Department for Transport (DfT) will allow the use of autonomous driving modes which stick to a single lane with a 37mph (60km/h) speed limit. Drivers won't have to keep their hands on the wheel but will have to remain alert to retake control if required. Unfortunately, that means you can't binge-watch the latest series or play your favourite game on your commute just yet. "This is a major step for the safe use of self-driving vehicles in the UK, making future journeys greener, easier, and more reliable while also helping the nation to build back better. But we must ensure that this exciting new tech is deployed safely, which is why we are consulting on what the rules to enable this should look like. In doing so, we can improve transport for all, securing the UK's place as a global science superpower."