English edit

Etymology edit

autonomous +‎ -wash +‎ -ing

Noun edit

autonowashing (uncountable)

  1. (derogatory) The practice of making unverified or misleading claims which misrepresent the appropriate level of human supervision required by a partially or semi-autonomous product, service, or technology.
    • 2019 October 18, Liza Dixon, “Autonowashing: The Greenwashing of Vehicle Automation”, in ResearchGate[1], →DOI:
      Hence, the case for the use of the term "autonowashing" to describe the gap in the presentation of automation and the actual system capabilities is put forth. This paper presents case studies and discusses key issues in autonowashing, a term/concept that influences or relates to public perceptions of vehicle automation.
    • 2020, Christian Wolmar, “The Long Journey of the Driverless Car”, in IntechOpen, →DOI, retrieved 2021-01-31:
      [Dixon] cites the use of vague language and the failure to prove claims as being characteristics of autonowashing, and she highlights the media’s culpability in relation to its ‘utopian’ reporting and exaggeration of the level of autonomy. Indeed, there are numerous examples of articles whose headlines suggest they are about ‘driverless’ vehicles but that go on to reveal that there is a safety driver at the wheel.
    • 2021 January 7, “Are You Guilty of 'Autonowashing'?”, in Ratchet + Wrench[2], retrieved 2021-03-01:
      As companies dig deep into their marketing of ADAS features, some names go too far to indicate more autonomy than what's possible. The name for this phenomenon? Autonowashing.
    • 2021 May 17, “#224 Adventures in Autonowashing”, in Autonocast[3]:
      This week the gang discusses a few of the most recent examples, explores a misperception at the heart of some more innocent autonowashing, talks Elon Musk on SNL and pitches a few new ideas for future shows.

See also edit

References edit

  • Dixon, Liza (2020 May 6) “Autonowashing: The Greenwashing of Vehicle Automation”, in Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, →DOI, retrieved 2021-03-01