Although today’s autonomous vehicles (AVs) are still generally focused on navigation-related tasks, their increasing connectivity to smart technologies, and the general evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT), will inevitably expand the role and capabilities of AVs in everyday life. As the ecosystem of these increasingly integrated devices and vehicles continues to mature, the corresponding legal concerns and risks come more into focus. The below hypothetical, set in the not too distant future, explores such an AV/IoT ecosystem and the legal risks it raises.

A Glimpse Into the AV/IoT Ecosystem of the Future

Using their smart home technology, the families of the future will be able to contact their personal AV to coordinate the pick-up and drop-off schedules for the day, have the AV collect groceries (ordered from the “smart” kitchen and packed into the AV by the store’s robot assistant), and charge itself on various self-charging roadways or at other charging stations around the city.