FBI Says Autonomous Cars A Potential Terror Threat: Report

An internal report with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US is believed to have identified self-driving cars as a potential weapon for terrorists.

The restricted but not classified information was reportedly obtained by The Guardian following a request for public records, with the internal report suggesting autonomous cars could aid both criminals and law enforcement.

For criminals, an autonomous car could allow them to operate a firearm with almost full concentration while a getaway vehicle drives itself.

More extreme cases could see a car packed with explosives, before it drives itself to a target area and detonates. 

A car with no driver would attract much attention today, but as future autonomous cars drive around city centres looking for parking spaces while empty, the lead-up to a future attack of this nature would likely go unnoticed. 

Smarter criminals may also override pre-programed safety features to enable their self-driven car to ignore traffic signals such as red lights, knowing every other autonomous car on the road will take action automatically to avoid a collision. 

Autonomous Vehicles news, USA news