Regulators Must Be Quick to Adjust to Autonomous Car Revolution, Says Israel’s Chief Scientist

The automotive industry is headed for a major revolution that will fundamentally change the way we drive, and companies that fail to adjust will disappear, said Ami Appelbaum, Israel’s chief scientist and chairman of the country’s innovation investment arm, the Israel Innovation Authority. Appelbaum spoke Tuesday at a conference on innovation held jointly by Calcalist and events firm Connecting Leaders Club at the Mondial de l'Automobile auto show in Paris. Calcalist and CTech lead a delegation of Israeli auto-tech companies at the show.

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The autonomous car will affect every aspect of the industry as it requires sensor capabilities, connectivity systems, and safety and cybersecurity measures, Appelbaum said.

“Israeli entrepreneurs were among the first to identify the trends of autonomous cars, smart mobility, and shared transportation,” Calcalist's publisher Yoel Esteron said in the opening ceremony of the event. “These startups already collaborate with car-making giants and technology giants. They are at the forefront of cybersecurity, software, sensors, and chips for autonomous and electric cars, computer vision, artificial intelligence technology for smart mobility, and shared transportation,” he added. Smart and autonomous mobility technologies will move fast and one of the challenges would be for regulators to keep up with the pace and not be left behind as was the case with data and privacy, Appelbaum said. This is a life and death situation and poor regulation on vehicles put on the road could have disastrous results, he added.