Drones, AI and getting undergrads ready for great disruption

Abstract

In a joint commentary, SMU Academic Director (MSc in Innovation) and Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources (Education) Thomas Menkhoff; SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan; and SMU LKCSB Adjunct Faculty Kan Siew Ning, highlighted that the University recently launched an inter-disciplinary course on emerging technology, focusing on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or drones), robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). One key learning outcome is to enable students to appreciate, in a multi-disciplinary setting, the huge business potential of emerging technology in diverse areas - such as logistics, supply chain management, transportation, search and rescue, military, and scientific studies. Another is to sensitise learners to the regulatory and ethical-moral issues associated with new technologies.Besides citing examples of drone applications in Singapore, the trio also pointed out that there is a lot of scope for interdisciplinary collaboration and mixed teams in the areas of unmanned aerial vehicles, robotics and AI. They noted that the headlong rush to exploit emerging technology tends to result in ethical and regulatory issues being given short shrift. The prototypes of driverless cars built by Google, Tesla, BMW and others have enough built-in AI to free drivers from routine tasks like cruise control, keeping in lane and braking when the car gets too close to the vehicle in front. But what happens when there is an accident involving a driverless car, or when drones violate privacy rights? That is where ethicists, insurers, lawyers, policymakers, transport specialists and business planners need to offer their collaborative expertise, they said. Sensitivity to these technology-related issues can help ensure that stakeholders' interests and concerns are adequately dealt with, ensuring their receptivity to emerging technologies.