The world stands at a tipping point for the rapid adoption of autonomous technologies. Driven by advancements in 5G networks, the Internet of Things (loT) and artificial intelligence (AI), autonomy has evolved from the realm of science fiction into practical reality that can be seen in daily life, with automobiles being a typical representative of this.

In a report by Goldman Sachs, partially autonomous cars, or Level 3 vehicles, will account for up to 10 percent of global new car sales by 2030, while fully autonomous cars, or Level 4 cars, could represent around 2.5 percent of total sales in the same period. The report further suggests that China will see the highest adoption rate of autonomous vehicles (Level 3 or above), reaching
as much as 90 percent by 2040.

As autonomous technologies reshape transport, industry and defense, engineers are at the forefront of this revolution. Yes, the critical question remains: when machines begin to “think”, how should engineers redefine their roles?