# The Future of Autonomous Vehicles in the Opinion of Automotive Market Users
## 1 Introduction  
The role of the automotive industry in industrialization is huge. This industry is one of the most important for the Polish economy. It is also responsible for a significant number of jobs, as well as many different investments and revenues for the public finance sector. Importantly, this industry directly or indirectly affects other sectors of the economy. Three technological megatrends of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) are indicated, i.e., 1. Communication, 2. artificial intelligence and 3. flexible automation. The technology of the fully autonomous vehicle (AV) is best adapted to these megatrends, especially in the case of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), which enable communication between vehicles, infrastructure and other road users (so-called V2X connectivity) [1, 2]. Automated driving is a major trend in the automotive industry as it promises to increase road safety and driver comfort [3]. One of the key elements in the development of AV technology is the progress related to the conversion of vehicle drive systems to electric drives. Currently, more and more vehicle manufacturers offer hybrid or electric vehicles. This will certainly affect the development of the industry related to electric driving and increase the level of employment in these sectors of the economy. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in the field of automated driving systems (ADS), and AV technology is gaining more and more attention from vehicle manufacturers, technology companies, decision makers and the general public. Recent dynamic changes in vehicle technology like advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) (such as, e.g., automatic braking, automatic cruise control, intelligent speed assistance, line maintenance assistance systems, etc.) bring us closer to increasingly autonomous and independent vehicles, which will use these solutions. This development is supplemented by the parallel development of connectedness and communication in vehicles. Therefore, taking into account current dynamics and progress, it can be expected that these systems will continue to develop, and the technology of automated driving will lead to a change in the paradigm in transport systems in terms of comfort of use, choice of mode and business models [4]. Autonomous vehicles include various vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks and drones, which are based on artificial intelligence with varying degrees of human participation. By processing and analyzing billions of data from a number of sensors, cameras and radar systems every second, AVs can effectively \"see\" the road and respond to changing conditions or overcome obstacles. The ability of autonomous vehicles to operate without human intervention depends on their level of technological sophistication, in accordance with the current six-degree autonomy scale proposed by the International Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) [5; 6] (see Figure 1) from level 0 (without automation) to level 5 (full unlimited automation); levels 1 to 3 are considered \"semi-autonomous\":  
* Level 0: the driver performs all tasks related to driving and there is no automation. * Level 1 (Driver's assistant): It is implemented by systems that automate a specific element of driving, and the driver is obliged to keep their hands on the steering wheel and watch the traffic on the road. So, the driver controls most driving functions, but under certain conditions the vehicle may be able to adjust the cruise control speed or stay on the road lane. * Level 2 (partial automation): Corresponds to semi-autonomous driving--in the case of traffic jams on the road, the vehicle can autonomously take over driving, steering and braking. The car can both accelerate/decelerate and perform basic steering functions. The driver is still responsible for steering the navigation (e.g., exit from the highway, change of lane or turn onto a new street).