- An Audi customer says an AI camera monitored her inside a loaner car.
- The system can detect distractions and store hundreds of hours of video.
- Audi has been asked whether renters can opt out of the technology.
While having to leave one’s car at the dealer for repairs is never fun, there can sometimes be a cool perk: loaner vehicles. One Audi customer felt that way too, right up until she spotted what she called the “eye of Sauron” looking back at her. Mounted on the passenger side of the windshield sat a large square unit bristling with cameras and microphones. By her account, it captures everything she does behind the wheel, and that has thrown a wrench into how she works. Whether the use of this tech came from a lone dealer or from Audi itself is unclear.
The woman says the Q7 in question is beautiful, but in her eyes, the camera is “the dystopian future”. Once the car starts, the camera, a Lytx DriveCam, records just about everything. It has cameras that capture both a view out of the windshield like a traditional dashcam but also another staring at the driver and occupants. Both cameras connect to Lytx’s machine vision and AI to monitor driver behavior.
More: Roll A Stop Sign In Virginia July 1 And An AI Camera Can Mail You The Ticket
The system then uses audible alerts to increase driver safety and focus. Of course, how effective or annoying the system is largely depends on one’s personal view. It chimes in if a person holds their phone, even if they’re simply talking on it. It can alert if it believes a person is following too closely, rolling through stop signs, speeding, and more. Imagine driving around with your wildly devout grandmother. It’s similar to that but with one big problem.
The woman at the center of this story says she’s a healthcare worker. She cannot legally speak about cases around others due to privacy laws. With the Lytx DriveCam recording, she says she can no longer take or place work calls in the Audi, hands-free or otherwise. If that holds, it raises real questions about delayed patient care.
Exactly who installed the camera remains unclear. Lytx primarily markets its products to commercial fleets, and Audi does not appear among the partners highlighted on the company’s website. That suggests the monitoring system may have been installed by the dealership rather than the automaker itself, though that has not been confirmed.
According to TechSpot, the legal picture is also murky. Fleet monitoring cameras are generally permitted in many U.S. jurisdictions, and companies often argue that drivers consent by operating the vehicle. We’ve contacted Audi to ask whether it had any involvement with the monitoring system, whether customers receiving dealer loaners are informed when these cameras are installed, and whether drivers have any way to disable or opt out of the recording technology.
It responded briefly to let us know that it’s looking into the situation and will offer more information soon. That seems to indicate, at least for now, that this may indeed be a dealer action rather than an edict from Audi itself. We’ll update you here once we learn more.
