105 self-driving cars are being recalled because it doesn’t recognise smoke as a safety hazard

Zoox had to issue an emergency recall on 105 cars after its self-driving taxi entered a fire zone in June, unable to detect smoke (a rare occurrence) and apply the brakes directly over the flames. This led to a manual intervention by a remote operator, who had to back the car up manually while cones were placed around the fire.

AI systems often struggle with anomalies (unusual events such as smoke, or the chaotic situation of a fire), but are able to handle the more usual scenarios. NHTSA has previously said vehicles blocking emergency response vehicles is an area of concern, and the increasing size of the self-driving car fleet is only adding to the tension.