Artist Creates 'Trap' For Self-Driving Cars

James Bridle's simple "trap" would do little to deter human drivers, but it could prove paralyzing to a computer designed to read markings on the road. The piece is meant to call attention to the very new considerations we'd face in a world of self-drivers. 

Describing the trap, Beckett Mufson writes, "In the language of road markings, the dotted white lines on the outside say, 'Come On In,' but the solid white line on the inside says, 'Do Not Cross.' [...] If a self-driving car is designed to read the road, what happens when the language of the road is abused by those with nefarious intent?"

Bridle wants to question corporate narratives through his art, while at the same time avoiding a purely reactionary approach. Says Bridle, "I don't see why cab drivers of the future shouldn't be chalking white lines on side streets to derail self-driving Ubers which are putting them out of work, and I also think we need more eyes and hands on the tools which are shaping all of our futures."