Volvo is prepared to accept ‘full liability’ if one of its self-driving cars crashes

As autonomous car manufacturers like Google shift blame when it comes to accidents, Volvo is taking the high road — and the blame.

If a Volvo self-driving car gets into an accident, the company will “accept full liability.”

One of the reasons it can accept responsibility is that Volvo has taken steps to protect its underlying software, which is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In a statement, Volvo also said it regards hacking its vehicles to be a criminal offense.

Volvo is encouraging the federal government to regulate self-driving cars, rather than leave it to individual states. At a seminar on self-driving cars tomorrow, Volvo President and Chief Executive Håkan Samuelsson will urge the US to end its “patchwork” system of regulating autonomous cars.

The 💜 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

It’s a bold step for Volvo to make, but reducing the responsibility of a “driver” may cause us to be too trusting of an autonomous cars’ ability.

➤ US urged to establish nationwide Federal guidelines for autonomous driving [Volvo]