The author of The Algorithmic Bias argues that AI-driven cars are optimized for "perfect" conditions and "average" people, often failing to recognize children, the elderly, or those with darker skin tones.
Disney Imagineers face a similar, albeit less lethal, version of this problem. When Disney designs a ride like Avatar Flight of Passage or TRON Lightcycle / Run, they are designing for a global audience. If their sensors or restraint systems only account for the "average" body type, they don't just exclude people—they create safety hazards.
The "Edge Case" as the Main Event
In the blog post, the author highlights how AI struggles with "edge cases"—children chasing balls or non-standard pedestrian gaits. In the software world, these are often dismissed as outliers.
At Disney, the "edge case" is the main event. Disney’s computer vision and sensor arrays (used in trackless ride vehicles like Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway) have to account for:
- Children suddenly standing up.