Is 'Tesla' a Spy? ... Autonomous Vehicles Become a National Security Priority [Reading Science]

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] #. Last May, the Chinese government banned the parking of the American autonomous vehicle 'Tesla' at government office parking lots. Earlier, in March, the Chinese military had already blocked Tesla vehicles from entering military base areas. This was due to concerns that information captured by autonomous vehicles could be leaked. Ultimately, Tesla's CEO Elon Musk succumbed to pressure from the Chinese government and announced plans to establish a data center within China.

Autonomous driving technology is emerging as the 'vanguard' in the national competition surrounding future national security. While autonomous vehicle technology is being developed for transportation, logistics, and environmental innovation, its importance is rapidly increasing in terms of military use, cybersecurity, and espionage activities.

In this regard, a report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in June has attracted attention. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, CSIS stated that autonomous vehicle technology is having a significant impact on the national security of countries around the world, including the United States, and emphasized that the U.S. must maintain its competitiveness.

◇ "Essential for U.S. Technological Leadership"

In the report, CSIS pointed out that strong autonomous driving technology is essential for national security beyond military applications. The ongoing hegemonic competition with China is centered not only on traditional defense capabilities but also on who possesses innovation capacity and technological leadership. In particular, China is threatening the U.S.'s technological leadership in the autonomous vehicle sector. China is already considered to be ahead of the U.S. in unmanned tanks and remotely controlled repair work vehicles. A representative example is the rover 'Zhurong,' which successfully landed on Mars last May and is conducting exploration, demonstrating autonomous driving capabilities comparable to the U.S. Mars exploration rover Perseverance.

The report also highlighted the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of autonomous vehicles. Sensitive information such as vehicle location, speed, text messages, emails, and voice data can be hacked at any time. If hackers take control of autonomous vehicles vulnerable to cybersecurity threats through ransomware, massive damage could occur.

◇ Possibility of Espionage Use

Another issue is that autonomous vehicles could be actively used for espionage between countries. The report assessed that major automobile manufacturing countries such as Germany, Japan, and Korea are unlikely to use autonomous vehicles for espionage due to the absence of political and security motives. However, in the case of China, the scope and scale of espionage activities have recently become so active that they surpass the Cold War era, making it a situation that must not be overlooked. Meanwhile, the Chinese government's ban on Tesla driving near military facilities, sensitive industrial sites, government agencies, and residences of key figures is also noteworthy. Paradoxically, this suggests that the Chinese government precisely recognizes the possibility of autonomous vehicles being used for espionage, i.e., that they could serve as ideal surveillance platforms.

Currently, the United States has an environment conducive to leading autonomous vehicle technology, including a strong startup ecosystem, a dynamic financial system, a robust research foundation, and innovation communities specialized in commercialization. On the other hand, China’s advantage lies in the government’s active encouragement of autonomous vehicle technology research, development, and utilization through massive long-term investments.

Accordingly, the report pointed out that "the capability to utilize artificial intelligence and autonomous driving systems is at the core of international competition and is a sector where competitiveness must be maintained through policies and regulations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.