According to industry estimates, by 2020, the autonomous vehicle market was worth US$87 billion and by 2040, it is predicted that four out of every 10 vehicles on the road will be autonomous. Autonomous vehicles will open up new opportunities for Australian innovation and society but what are the possible roadblocks and how should our Government respond to the challenges.

Join us for an expert panel discussion on the Future of Transport in Australia. Just how can an autonomous & connected future be navigated, from technical, legal and ethical concerns to public acceptance and needed law reform. We will explore issues such as:

• How can safety and security be assured?
• Who should be liable for accidents involving autonomous vehicles?
• What can be learned from the overseas introduction of AVs?
• Trust, privacy, ethics and freedom of movement

Our expert panel include:

Caity McLoughlin Caity is Principal Adviser, Emerging Technology and Road Safety to the NSW Minister for Transport and Roads. Amongst other things, Caity has responsibility for the legislative and policy reform agenda for technology related matters across the Minister’s portfolio. Prior to her current role, Caity was Associate Director, Head of Innovation at Optus Business. She has also worked as a Senior Policy Adviser to the (then) NSW Minister for Finance, Services and Property, looking after digital government initiatives (including establishment of the NSW Government’s Data Analytics Centre) and the development of NSW Government’s Innovation Strategy. Caity is admitted as a solicitor in NSW and has worked both in-house and in private practice.

Associate Professor Tania Leiman Dean of Law Flinders University. She is a member of the Law Society of SA’s Legal Technology Committee, serves as a member of the National Transport Commission’s Automated Vehicles Industry Insights Group and the Australia and New Zealand Driverless Vehicles Initiative Policy & Risk Group. Her research focuses on the intersection between law and emerging technologies, particularly in the context of future mobility, legal practice and legal education. Tania is the SA representative on the National Advisory Board of the Australian Society for Computers & Law.

Nicholas Carney Partner Herbert Smith Freehills. Nicholas is an infrastructure and transport partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, with a particular interest in autonomous vehicles and smart cities. Nicholas co-leads HSF’s global Future Cities initiative (including in relation to Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. He is also Deputy Chair of Infrastructure Partnership’s Australia’s InfraTech Taskforce as well as a member of the Australian National Transport Commission’s Industry Engagement group for Autonomous Vehicles. He recently co-authored a report on the Future of Cities globally in the wake of COVID-19.