The widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles (AVs) seems inevitable. Despite various concerns, AVs' development and implementation continues to advance. How will their spread affect sustainability? How will they affect humans' capacity to live on Earth in a way that does not threaten the planet's life-support function? We asked experts the following question: "How will the proliferation of autonomous vehicles affect sustainability?"

"AI is being fed directly into the bloodstream of society, and in many cases without sufficient checks and balances," says Kate Crawford, a professor and cofounder of New York University's AI Now, the world's first academic research institute dedicated to the social impact of artificial intelligence. Last year, Crawford partnered with data-viz guru Vladan Joler to create "Anatomy of an AI System," a map and research paper demonstrating the real-world consequences of developing and manufacturing the Amazon Echo. The paper highlights the radical differences in income distribution between Amazon executives and the workers who enable its vast infrastructure, as well as its devastating environmental impacts. The project has been exhibited at museums around the world, and Crawford has presented it to leaders in France, Germany, Spain, and Argentina.