Self Driving Auto's Hacked, Results Can be Deadly!

G. David Felt - Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.cheersandgears.com

Self Driving Auto's Hacked, Results Can be Deadly!

Thanks to the researchers at University of Washington, University of Michigan, Stony Brook University, and UC Berkeley we now have proof that self driving autos can be easily hacked and the results deadly. The researchers have released a paper Robust Physical-World Attacks on Machine Learning Models  in which they have shown 4 different ways that disrupt the way machines read and classify signs using a camera and color printer. To quote the original story, "The most troubling part about these experiments is that they all appear very subtle to the human eye, camouflaged as graffiti, art, or incorporated into the sign's imagery."

All it took was 4 stickers printed out and placed on a stop sign to turn the sign from a stop sign to a MPH sign that can cause deadly results. Clearly this is going to cause many to re-think self driving and auto companies to have to test to insure the signs are read properly. The four ways that autonomous auto's are fooled is by of course fully printed signs to cover the existing sign, Stickers placed on the stop sign, graffiti on the stop sign and grey stickers covering up portions of a turn sign giving the impression to the computer that it was an MPH sign. Either way, all four hacks could have deadly results.

Be interesting to see what the response if from the auto industry.