Faced with an unexpected event on the road such as snow or roadworks, the autonomous car cannot react. Hence the idea of putting humans back in the loop, the cars will therefore be assisted, from a distance, by human drivers when they are in distress.
We know driving aids like the computer which assists a driver in difficulty. With autonomous cars, the opposite is developing. The cars will be assisted, from a distance, by human drivers when they are in distress.
They are called remote heaters, a new profession which consists in remotely controlling vehicles, installed quietly behind a screen.
We realize the limits of autonomous cars. They panic as soon as it snows or it rains, they are unable to react when an agent manages traffic or if there is work. Hence the idea of putting the human back in the loop, so that it takes over when artificial intelligence panics.
And are we already recruiting "heaters"?
Yes, for example Einride, an autonomous truck manufacturer, is currently looking for former truck drivers. When the trucks are on the highway, they will just have to watch them (they drive completely autonomously). But the driver will take over for all the maneuvers in town.
There are also a dozen startups that offer the same service to autonomous taxis: Phantom Auto, Ottopia, Designated Driver, etc. They have started strong in the United States since the law authorizes autonomous cars without a driver, if they have a remote control system.
But what happens if there is a network problem?
At worst, the car will park on its side. The objective is not to permanently remote control it, but rather to assist its artificial intelligence when it is lost. Most of the time, the heater will only give simple commands like "go ahead, you can roll in the wrong direction". This avoids being permanently dependent on the network.
To see now, if that reassures all those who are still afraid of getting into an autonomous car.