Learner outcome: Research regulations and policies affecting Autonomous Vehicle Technology and perform an impact analysis on stakeholders.

Course: ICT 601 IT Policy and Audit | 3 cr. |  Spring 2025

Artifact: 

During the spring 2025 semester in the course ICT 601 - IT Policy & Audit, I created the linked paper and PowerPoint. These two artifacts are based on research I conducted about the influence of policies and regulations on the implementation and development of Autonomous Vehicle Technology. My objectives included examining regulations, identifying trends based on signals of change, compiling insights from stakeholders, and recommending steps to address challenges and improve outcomes.

Work sample: 

Impacts of Regulations on Autonomous Vehicle  Technology Implementation (paper)

Impacts of Regulations on Autonomous Vehicle Technology Implementation (PowerPoint)

Self-Reflection:

What did you learn?

From this project, I learned how policies and regulations influence the implementation and development of technology. This includes learning how to identify those policies, evaluate IT processes within an organization, perform a risk assessment, and apply controls to limit risk and mitigate consequences. I also learned how to evaluate trends related to IT policy and audit, which can help companies be better prepared to handle changes to policies and regulations impacting their industry.

The continuously changing regulatory landscape impacts stakeholders and the direction of technology, so companies need to have awareness of changes to laws that influence how their business operates. Focusing on the automotive industry and autonomous vehicles, I learned there are many complexities when attempting to adhere to regulations. Ultimately, I learned how policies, controls, and audits can help an organization achieve business objectives by ensuring that technology supports strategic priorities. Key activities facilitate this business success, including performing risk assessments, managing those risks, securing data, auditing, monitoring for compliance, and having all employees contribute to aligning processes with regulations.

How did you learn this?

I learned this by completing an individual research project and presenting my findings in a paper and PowerPoint about AV technology. The paper begins by explaining the main components of the technology, then moves into a policy analysis of the regulatory bodies involved, explaining the intent and factors used when determining which regulations to implement. From there, I conducted a deep dive into the impact on key stakeholders, including automakers, tech companies, and consumers. I closed the project by providing my recommendations for strengthening regulatory clarity and uniformity, prioritizing testing and reporting, and building trust and transparency

What were some challenges that you overcame?

I encountered a few challenges throughout the project, which I overcame by being persistent in exploring the topic of AV technology in depth and making decisions based on my initial objectives.

First, I had to familiarize myself with the technology itself. It is not as simple as one or two pieces of hardware; there are many devices that work together, and I also spent time understanding the software that enables communication between them.

Next, I quickly realized there are many different regulatory bodies at both the federal and state levels. The approach I took was to identify the main regulatory bodies and then start compiling notes about their official duties and power, including finding out where the roles and responsibilities of different agencies overlap.

Another challenge was distinguishing between what is a guideline and what is a required regulation. To determine this, I looked for important language within the text, such as the words "shall" and "must," that indicate a mandatory requirement, as well as any penalties for non-compliance. I also noted the issuing authority and whether it was from a government agency, as white papers and documents from industry organizations often represent guidelines instead of rules.

A final challenge was determining what perspective to take for the project as a whole. After identifying the major stakeholders and realizing multiple groups were impacted, I decided it was best to look at the issue from all angles to get a comprehensive understanding of the impacts.

How will you apply this information in the future?

With the knowledge gained from this course and the practice from this project, I now have a greater appreciation for the importance of audit and control, technology security, and identifying key policies and regulations. I am better equipped to contribute to an organization’s efforts to operate in a secure and compliant manner and possess the skills to make recommendations to leaders about adopting a culture of security and compliance. I am now able to explain the importance of IT Audit and Control, and apply a process to control information technology risks, ensuring technology supports strategic priorities rather than hindering them.

In my workplace, I can support efforts to achieve strategic objectives by focusing on:

• Regulations: Identifying regulations and policy changes - like those seen in the evolving Autonomous Vehicle landscape - that impact current operations and assessing how emerging trends in IT Policy and Audit affect technology development and adoption.

• Risk control: I can contribute to risk assessment activities by applying the skills learned to evaluate IT processes, identify potential risks associated with new technology implementation, and recommending controls to mitigate consequences. This includes assessing risk controls and preparing for disaster recovery planning.

• Informed recommendations: I can advise leadership on adopting new technology by analyzing the regulatory landscape first. This includes explaining the importance of IT Audit and Control and recommending IT audit processes that align technology with required compliance mandates.

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