“We are witnessing a technological race,” a panel of Baker McKenzie attorneys and in-house counsel concurred during Doing Business Globally in Chicago today while sharing insights on automated driving systems (ADS) and self-driving vehicles.

The panel included Baker McKenzie attorneys Michael Stoker and Adam Aft from the Firm’s International Commercial Practice and Catherine Muir from its Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice.

A few highlights:

• Many industry heads predict that driverless cars will become publicly available by 2021. In the long term, the goal is to make driving safer.

• Car hacking is not new,  but the stakes are higher with automated vehicles. There are risks associated with the technology in terms of  increased complexity and connectivity.

• The laws related to ADS-equipped vehicles are quickly evolving, and regulators are competing for regulatory authority.

• There is no uniform approach to regulating ADS-equipped vehicles in the EU, and the majority of US states are silent on whether these vehicles are permissible.

• Lawmakers are beginning to develop ethical frameworks for automated and connected vehicular traffic.

Also, watch a video the panelists shared during  their discussion on self-driving vehicles on the road today: