Level 5 autonomous vehicles (AVs) will allow shipping companies to significantly decrease their costs and their liability as they will no longer need long-haul truck drivers. However, this also applies to smugglers. Trafficking of drugs, people, weapons, and black market goods will all receive a boon from AVs.
There will be a massive increase in vehicles on the road with the advent of fully-autonomous technology.
Long-haul delivery vehicles could largely become operated with no passengers inside, and will likely not even have a place for a passenger. They will cruise down highways and across borders.
Law enforcement is currently unable to scan every vehicle on the road as it is, yet alone after the vehicle traffic increases. They will have to come up with ways to determine which vehicles are likely being used for illicit activities; and what to do when they find one with illegal goods inside.
Currently, there is ambiguity around whom to hold responsible when an AV (or any type of artificial intelligence) violates a law.
For smugglers, there are risks with having a person present: a person with a criminal history or improper documentation could raise suspicions of law enforcement, they may make mistakes, they may break laws whilst driving, they may take off with the cargo.
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