Prince William visited Jaguar TCS Racing's base in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, on Thursday, where he climbed into the team's Formula E vehicle and joked about artificial intelligence replacing human drivers in motorsport.
During conversations with graduates and interns at the facility, the 43-year-old heir to the throne suggested that technological advances could eventually make human drivers obsolete.
"Imagine you turn around and just say 'let's just get rid of the driver, we'll put in an AI person and it'll do it itself much quicker'. We're probably not far off that moment are we - not that we should be going down that route obviously," William remarked.
The visit coincided with Prince Louis's eighth birthday, and William shared that all three of his children were thrilled about his tour, revealing they "love" the sport.
Prince William visited Jaguar TCS Racing's base in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, on Thursday, where he climbed into the team's Formula E vehicle and joked about artificial intelligence replacing human drivers in motorsport.
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At 6ft 3in, William's height meant his head sat above the protective halo structure when he positioned himself in Jaguar's I-TYPE 7 development car on the engineering floor.
The prince spoke with António Félix da Costa, who claimed the Formula E World Championship title in 2020, discussing the vehicle's specific controls and components.
William also immersed himself in the team's race strategy simulation room, donning headphones to listen as instructions were relayed to drivers during operations.
"There's a lot of attacking going on," he quipped afterwards.
The prince spoke with António Félix da Costa, who claimed the Formula E World Championship title in 2020, discussing the vehicle's specific controls and components.
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The royal visitor was given a comprehensive tour showcasing the cutting-edge technology that has helped Jaguar TCS Racing secure more victories than any other Formula E team, with 25 wins and 33 additional podium finishes to date.
Throughout his tour, William questioned the team about their pioneering sustainability initiatives and how innovations from the racing programme transfer to Jaguar's electric consumer vehicles.
Speaking with Jack Lambert, head of technical integration, the prince enquired about the trajectory of electrification over the coming years.
"What does the future look like? Obviously you keep breaking these new boundaries and this new ground, what's four years, eight years away in electrification?" William asked.
William noted that Formula E's low noise levels allow racing in close proximity to urban centres, describing this as "quite a unique feature."
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Lambert explained the team's focus on developing their GEN4 car and expanding regulatory boundaries for future generations of the sport.
William noted that Formula E's low noise levels allow racing in close proximity to urban centres, describing this as "quite a unique feature."
The prince also spoke with 22-year-old graduate scheme participant Phoebe Russell, describing such programmes as "crucial" for encouraging women into the male-dominated field.
Following the royal visit, Lambert reflected on William's curiosity about the sport's direction, noting the prince had posed thought-provoking questions about where engineers envision the technology heading.
On the subject of AI potentially replacing human drivers, Lambert acknowledged it was now a realistic possibility but questioned whether it would benefit the sport.
"The reason people love racing is competition, and competition comes when you stick a squidgy driver in the middle that has his own brain and thinks and reacts and has emotions, that's where racing comes alive," he explained.
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