Deadly incidents involving Turo vehicles expose limitations of relying on safety algorithms

The news: The recent deadly attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas have led to a public relations and brand safety problem for Turo, a car rental app that allows people to rent out their vehicles.

Dubbed the Airbnb of car rentals, Turo is the largest car-sharing app, serving 3.5 million users with 350,000 listed vehicles. It rented out the Ford F-150 Lightning and Tesla Cybertruck used in New Year’s Day attacks that killed 15 and injured dozens, per Bloomberg.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found “no definitive link” between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion, despite both involving Turo-rented vehicles.

Safety algorithms in question: Turo’s safety algorithm, the Turo Risk Score, is being scrutinized in light of the attacks. 

• The algorithm analyzes 50 data points to assess driver risk and set rental fees, but relying solely on this method was ineffective as both attackers reportedly lacked criminal records that might have flagged them. 
• “They (the attackers) could have boarded any plane, checked into any hotel, or rented a car or truck from any traditional vehicle rental chain," said Turo CEO Andre Haddad.
• Turo defended its safety protocols, including the Turo Risk Score, and pledged to refine its algorithm to improve risk assessments.

The challenge: Tech-driven platforms must strike a delicate balance between convenience and public safety. 

• Turo’s business model enables car owners to rent out their personal vehicles for additional income, but the app’s involvement in the recent attacks could cause renters to pull their vehicles or even delay the company’s IPO plans. 
• Car rentals from Turo and Getaround, another peer-to-peer car rental app, have been stolen and used in crimes like drug trafficking, per NBC News.

Our take: Criminal incidents reveal the limitations of Turo’s algorithms in accounting for unpredictable human behavior or vetting individuals with no prior criminal history. Specialized human screening may be the next step as tech platforms lean into automation, algorithms, and AI.

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