(NewsUSA) - As autonomous vehicles (AV) continue to evolve, consumers may be on the cusp of a new age of autonomous mobility, according to experts at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan initiative with a goal of making recommendations to strengthen America's long-term competitiveness in AI.

The international standard for vehicular autonomy classification includes six levels from 0 to 5, with 0 being cars with features that provide short-term and limited assistance, such as blind spot and lane departure warnings, and 5 being “full, unfettered autonomous driving,” according to SCSP.

The United States maintains a small lead in AV production over other countries, including China, and forecasts for 2030 project potentially more than four trillion dollars in revenue for fully and semi-autonomous vehicles. Auto manufacturers are responding to these forecasts by ramping up research and development.

However, changes in attitudes toward legal liability and shifts in consumer trust may threaten America’s slim lead, said George Ngoh, a research assistant on the Future Tech Platforms team at SCSP, in a recent newsletter.

Recently, a Florida jury ruled a carmaker partly responsible for a fatal crash involving a semiautonomous car. “To build confidence with both the public and policymakers, automakers and regulators require more than just miles driven; they need comprehensive, transparent data—especially fault data—to definitively prove the safety and reliability of these platforms,” Ngoh explained.

Looking ahead, global leadership in AV goes beyond commercial benefits; it is key to maintaining American security, according to SCSP experts.

AV technology offers a range of military advantages, such as improved precision for munitions guidance and fully autonomous platforms for strike, surveillance, and logistics.

The primary challenge to AV leadership comes from China, where advantages in data and nanometer design may make it easier to develop improved onboard chips in for better decision-making in AVs, and enhanced computing capacity will help Chinese companies develop the complex simulations needed to validate AV safety.

To maintain a competitive advantage, AV firms in the United States should increase their investments in modeling and simulation of their platforms and software, SCSP experts emphasize. In addition, state and federal governments must collaborate to collect the best and most stringent data for developing AV technology. These measures will build trust with policymakers and the public to increase domestic adoption of AVs and position the United States as a leader in the global automotive market. Autonomous vehicles more than the future of transportation; they are a bellwether of strategic advantage in an AI-driven world.

For more information about AV evolution and other aspects of American AI strategies, visit scsp.ai.