My perspective is that of a scholar who has spent 30+ years studying the global automotive industry, often in comparison with the IT industry. Tech is shaping automotive and automotive is shaping tech – but to what end, to what extent, and with what consequences? Automotive OEMs are responsible, under these rules, for ensuring a certain level of safety and quality (which they largely self-validate) and they are legally liable when failures or violations occur. In future columns, I will explore more deeply the reasons why Apple is talking with automotive OEMs and why the division of labor between tech and automotive is tricky to sort out. To return to my opening question “who’s shaping who?,” expect to hear from me all the ways that tech and automotive firms will mutually shape each other.

Source: Forbes March 09, 2021 19:52 UTC