THESLACKCHANNEL AT THE UNIVERSITYOF PENNSYLVANIA’S

human-machine interaction lab, where I work, is typically

a steady drip oflecture reminders and wall-climbing robot

videos. But this past summer, news ofthefirst Tesla Auto-

pilot-relatedfatality turned thefeed into a Niagara Falls of

critical chatter. Graduate research assistant: “It’s a habit of

allpeoplelaunchingproducts to claim thingsareworkingtokeep

people excited.” Postdoc researchfellow: “Suchfailures are inevitable,

at least until the technology improves. Tesla took the plungefirst, and

therefore is subject to increased scrutiny.” Student researcher: “If a

driver was attentivelybehind the wheel, they wouldn’t have mistaken

a tractor trailer for a road sign.”

Don’tBlamethe

Robots;BlameUs

T

By CARLA DIANA