[Ads-l] Word: Autonowashing

[Laurence Horn]

And here I thought it referred to cars that don’t need washed, a great innovation indeed.  Nevermind.

> On Aug 18, 2021, at 4:43 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Automobile companies such as Tesla have been heralding the arrival of
> self-driving cars for several years. Currently, Tesla cars have Level
> 2 partial automation. The driver must continue to pay attention to the
> road and keep their hands on the wheel while the system is engaged.
> 
> The term "autonowashing" is being used to criticize some automobile companies.
> 
> Date: May 2020
> Journal: Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
> Volume 5
> Article: Autonowashing: The Greenwashing of Vehicle Automation
> Author: Liza Dixon
> 
> https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198220300245
> 
> [Begin excerpt]
> Autonowashing
> 
> Adapted for automation (Rouse, 2007), autonowashing is defined as 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. Autonowashing may
> also be extended to fully autonomous systems, in cases where system
> capabilities are exaggerated beyond what can be performed reliably,
> under all conditions. Autonowashing makes something appear to be more
> autonomous than it really is.
> 
> The objective of autonowashing is to differentiate and/or offer a
> competitive advantage to an entity, through the use of superficial
> verbiage meant to convey a level of system reliability that is
> misaligned with the technical capabilities of the system.
> Autonowashing may also occur inadvertently, when one unknowingly
> repeats erroneous information about the capabilities of an automated
> system to another. Autonowashing is a form of disinformation, and it
> is, in a sense, viral.
> [End excerpt]
> 
> Garson
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org