Thread by @lizadixon

HBD, #autonowashing! 🥳

One year ago today, "Autonowashing: The Greenwashing of Vehicle Automation” was published.

What is it?
What’s the objective?
What does it look like?
What are its effects?
Why did I do this?
Has it made a difference?

A thread 🧵

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Autonowashing makes a system appear to be more autonomous than it really is.

It is a misrepresentation of the appropriate level of human interaction required to operate a system safely.

This word is currently most often used in association with partial (L2) driving automation.

1️⃣ Why does it happen?

Well, there’s no good reason to confuse people about that capabilities of automation and their role in using it…especially safety-critical systems!

At its original source, autonowashing is a form disinformation and it is, in a sense, viral.

2️⃣ What does it look like?

Autonowashing occurs on a spectrum. It can be subtle or egregious & objectively present. Ex:

- Headlines referring to partial automation as “self-driving”
- Influencers modeling system misuse
- Product names “misaligned w/ engineering reality” (FSD)

🔬Quick HMI Lesson🤓

To support human-automation interaction in safety critical systems, user trust in the sys must be proportionate to the system’s capabilities. This inspires appropriate reliance. See Fig 1. from my paper

[Adapted from @Jdlee888 & See csel.eng.ohio-state.edu/productions/in…]

👎Overtrust = risk of misuse (danger)

👎Distrust = disuse (loss of potential safety benefit, maker ROI)

👍Calibrated trust = ideal (this is what we engineer for!)

In memespeak:

This is why very capable automation which *still requires human supervision* is particularly dangerous—this is how complacency sets in. Even expert, highly experienced users are at risk!

“Complacency” is a part of the human condition, and a recognized human factors limitation.

3️⃣ What are the effects?

Autonowashing leads to increased trust which leads to an increased risk of misuse (overreliance) & therefore an increase risk of crashing.

@NTSB: cites overreliance as a factor in multiple deadly crashes involving L2 automation

https://twitter.com/Tweetermeyer/status/1382468041523417089?s=20

Further, the effects of autonowashing have been observed in multiple studies.

Here’s a very clear summary of one from @aaafoundation by @Tweetermeyer:

https://twitter.com/Tweetermeyer/status/1315430560269889536?s=20

Autonowashing is a fact, there is no debate over its existence. What constitutes autonowashing can be subjective, but we know it is a phenomenon which is occurring daily and the visibility of its negative effects are, unfortunately, growing.

It does not need to be this way!

4️⃣ Where did it start?

A random tweet to @AlexRoy144 😆

https://twitter.com/lizadixon/status/1112130585005305856?s=20

Context: At the time I had just finished my Masters, during which I conducted a study of trust in ADAS.

I was shocked. I could not believe the things the drivers believed about this technology & I saw first hand how these beliefs translated into [bad, dangerous] behaviors.

I was witnessing a huge gap between the science, media/industry, & the public.

Driving is the most dangerous thing the avg person does & autonowashing unnecessarily contributes to the already risky public roadway environment (ironically often under the guise of improved safety)

Others had been discussing the concept of autonowashing (not the word) & writing articles ab it long before me. But it felt stuck…it wasn’t being taken seriously & the convo needed to evolve. But how do we evolve?

💡 Language. Words = Tools.💡

Related: thedrive.com/article/20495/…

I decided to write a conceptual article ab this prob. I hoped that if I could make the case for autonowashing by passing a scientific peer review, the topic would be taken more seriously. After 2 review cycles, my paper was accepted by @Transport_ELS ✨

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

*Disclaimer* I wrote this paper before I ever worked in the automotive industry. I have never shorted any stocks.

In fact, this paper is what brought me into the automotive industry and helped align me with the right people and companies who respect HMI research & safety 🙏🏻

5️⃣ How can we stop/mitigate autonowashing?

👨‍🏫 Education & awareness (@PAVECampaign)
👩🏻‍🔧 Engineering (ODD limitations, mandatory robust DMS solutions)
🔤 Common language (driver assistance/support systems vs. autonomous systems)
👮‍♂️ Wake up @FTC @NHTSAgov
🤔 Stay curious, ask Qs!

6️⃣Has it made a difference?

I've been told the needle has moved. In some cases, I've witnessed a positive impact directly, ex: @Cadillac pulling an ad which was called out as “autonowashing”, or Waymo’s @LTADpartners changing their name to distance themselves from autonowashing

Some other things that have happened the past year:

@NTSB awareness

https://twitter.com/JenniferHomendy/status/1358768220057051145?s=20

German court rules against autonowashing thenextweb.com/news/german-co…

U.S. Senators crack down on L2 misuse theverge.com/2021/4/22/2239…

Growing support for robust DMS eetimes.com/why-autonowash…

🔮 What’s next?

We will see what the future holds! My hope for the next phase of the journey is that my personal association with autonowashing will drop off…sort of like this. And that it will carry on, further into the public domain and into the mainstream.

Some Autonowashing resources ✨

Podcasts:
autonocast.com/blog/2020/7/29… via @autonocast

autonews.com/shift-podcast-… via @Automotive_News

Webinars:
via @PAVECampaign

via @LTADpartners

via @UN @ITU

💟 Acknowledgements

On Twitter alone autonowashing has reached millions of people. I didn't do that. A small village ppl have not only supported & educated me, but believe in the importance of this message & pushing it forward did that.

You have changed my life. Thank you💗

An incomplete list: @Tweetermeyer @AlexRoy144 @mattbeedham @PeterCBigelow @samabuelsamid @kirstenkorosec @lorakolodny @andevers6 @PhilKoopman @DavidDjward @MikeANees @TabithaColter @SuzKP @heatheraijian @reedmobility @AutomotiveUX @BrynBalcombe @sascha_p @semicast_res @felix_w_s

Another incomplete list: @BrandonBartneck @KyleWilsonPhD @GaryMarcus @AdamJosephCook @Eeshaw10 @AlexNoble17 @AutonoD @JenniferHomendy @FelixBoon @icapulet @DrTaraGoddard @JasonTorchinsky @siddkhastgir @john__rosevear @liamdenning @PAVECampaign @Waymo @LTADpartners @UN @ITU

& P.S.

The deployment of driving automation is being closely watched by big tech. Via a lack of regulation surrounding new, safety-critical technologies like this & a lack of action when deficiencies are noted, we are setting dangerous precedents for all kinds of future tech !👀