Pioneering conference on the future of autonomous driving

Autonomous driving is the start of a new era of mobility - with unanswered questions: How do companies navigate the complex landscape of technology, ethics and regulation? The AI Assurance in Mobility North America conference provides answers and offers a unique platform for dialogue with experts from industry, research and politics.

Taiber is also the founder of the IAMTS association (https://iamts.org/), which is dedicated to the standardisation and development of global test environments and can therefore provide valuable insights into the technical and regulatory aspects of this pioneering technology. The interview highlights the importance of standardised testing and validation systems, the complexity of the transition phase to higher levels of autonomy and the impact of current industry trends on the development of autonomous driving - and how the customer will ultimately benefit from all of this.

Progress in autonomous driving and technical challenges

The IAMTS association is dedicated to standardisation and the development of global test environments. Who benefits from standardised tests and validation systems?

First of all, the customer benefits, because standardised tests and validation systems ensure significantly greater transparency for the responsible supervisory authority as to whether the automated driving system works safely and reliably in the specified driving situations and environmental conditions.

For the OEM or fleet operator, compliance with test standards is an important quality feature for vehicle safety and the associated automated mobility service in all relevant markets around the world.

The transition to levels 3 and 4 of autonomous driving requires a high degree of technical complexity. How specifically can these challenges be overcome more efficiently through standardised testing and validation processes?

The technical complexity results from the variety of possible driving scenarios due to road users, weather situations and infrastructure conditions, which can influence each other dynamically. This means that numerous objects have to be digitally recorded simultaneously by sensors in suitable data structures and processed by powerful algorithms and processors in such a way that collisions are avoided and at the same time valid traffic regulations are adhered to as far as possible at all times. We can compare this to a continuous optimisation process that only runs reliably if it has been put through its paces.

Standardisation should ensure that vehicles behave in a predictable and repeatable manner in all driving situations for which they have been technically designed. To test this, we need certified test environments and validated test tools, not only in the physical world but also in the digital world.

Effects of the industry crises and relocation of investments

The automotive industry has increased its focus on electric vehicles, which has led to a slowdown in investment in autonomous driving. To what extent do you see this shift as an obstacle to progress in autonomous driving, and what driving, and what strategies could help to promote both in parallel?

We have to differentiate here between traditional operationally driven automotive and supplier companies, which have so far done their business with manually controlled combustion vehicles and have to finance innovations from cash flow or with loans. On the other hand there’re future-driven technology companies, which attract first-class talent through high company valuations (also via shareholdings) and finance innovations primarily via the capital market.

The fact is that traditional companies are being challenged by competition to put their existing business and technology models to the test, with regulators putting additional pressure on them.

Regulatory pressure for decarbonisation has put the focus on the introduction of electric vehicles, but customers in many markets have so far been more reluctant to switch from combustion to electric cars than originally expected.

Automated driving is fundamentally an issue for increasing vehicle safety, but the high level of complexity and the necessary investments are not yet sufficient.

Regulatory challenges and standardization

An obstacle to autonomous driving that is often mentioned is the ‘unclear or vague regulatory framework’. How can the dialogue between regulatory authorities and the industry can be improved in order to create clear regulations that support the implementation of autonomous systems?

A key issue is the confidence of regulators in the quality of the test environments and test procedures used. Here, regulators and industry need to agree on the use of appropriate standards.

However, this process must not take too long and this is where IAMTS comes in as an association to accelerate this necessary dialogue and to concretise the standardisation content to a sufficient level of detail.

Importance of virtual validation and its limitations

Virtual validation methods are increasingly used to reduce costs and shorten development times. What role does this method play in the development of autonomous systems, and where do you see its limitations compared to real tests?

Highly and fully automated systems often have to be updated via software updates, for example to eliminate identified system weaknesses or even errors and to enable extensions to functionality or operating range.

Validation methods play an important role in making this process safe and compliant, but also in accelerating it appropriately - with the help of artificial intelligence.

Simulation models can approximate reality, but there are limits that arise from the accuracy of the model, but also from the physical understanding and modelling capability of the real processes.

There are limits to the real tests: If they are simply too dangerous for the test persons involved or reach the limits of the physical representability of the test situations, as well as limits to the virtual tests for the above-mentioned reasons.

Tesla and regulatory transparency

Tesla often raises high expectations regarding the progress in autonomous driving. The results are not made transparent. To what extent Tesla could benefit from a more standardised and transparent testing and validation process like the one IAMTS is aiming for?

How exactly Tesla tests automated driving internally is beyond my knowledge. However, it would be helpful to subject Tesla vehicles with highly or fully automated driving intelligence to standardised test procedures with validated tool chains in certified test environments - in order to obtain a neutral basis for assessing the actual performance of the system. This would also be in Tesla's interest to dispel any doubts about the quality and reliability of the system.

Consumer acceptance and ethical issues

Social acceptance plays a decisive role in the introduction of autonomous vehicles. How can technology companies and regulators can work together to increase consumer confidence?

In my view, there is no question that ethical considerations should play a central role in the social acceptance of highly and fully automated vehicles.

However, we need a consensus between technology companies and regulatory authorities as to which ethical criteria should be applied and how compliance with them should be checked.

The system can be artificially made ethically ‘blind’, but it can also be elaborately programmed to react in a certain way to ethically relevant driving situations.

The ethically ‘clean’ training of automated driving systems with the help of artificial intelligence is very important. Here too, the commitment of standardisation organisations (e.g. IEEE,  https://www.ieee.org/ ) is of crucial importance.

Editor's note:This interview was conducted in German and subsequently translated.

*About the person

Prof. Dr Joachim is Chairman of the AI-Assurance-in-Mobility North America (17-18 February 2025 in Austin, Texas/USA) and AI-Assurance-in-Mobility Europe (1-2 April 2025 in Berlin, Germany) conferences.

Prof Dr Joachim Taiber is a renowned expert in the field of innovative mobility technologies with a focus on AI-supported and autonomous vehicle systems. After studying at ETH Zurich, he began his career at the BMW Group in Germany, where he held various management positions.

In 2010, Dr Taiber moved to Clemson University (South Carolina, USA) as a research professor and founded the Advanced Vehicle-Infrastructure Technology Institute.

From 2016 to 2022, as Chief Technology Officer at the International Transportation Innovation Center (ITIC), he focused on the development of innovative methods for system validation for connected, automated, shared and sustainable forms of mobility.

Since 2021, Dr Taiber has held the position of Managing Director of International Operations at the International Alliance for Mobility Testing & Standardisation (IAMTS). In this role, he works on the standardisation of test procedures and type approval methods for autonomous vehicles.

His work also includes ethical considerations on the balance between technological progress and human values in the context of AI-powered digital transformation and autonomous vehicles.

Dr Taiber is deeply involved in the safety and regulation of self-driving cars, including the development of recall procedures.

Through his private consulting practice, he is involved in the development, implementation and operation of advanced mobility test environments, both in closed and open systems.

His diverse activities and extensive expertise make Prof Dr Joachim Taiber a key figure in the advancement and safety of AI-powered mobility solutions. He makes a significant contribution to responsibly integrating these technologies into the transport landscape of the future, while ensuring safety, efficiency and sustainability.