https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/self-driving-car-autonomous-explanation/ >SAE International (aka the Society of Automotive Engineers), a professional association that often sets industry guidelines, stepped in to provide a helpful level-by-level guide. First published in 2014, these J3016 guidelines have become the industry standard, having been adopted by both the US Department of Transportation and the United Nations. >On the road to self-driving, autonomous cars, there are six levels of automation, according to the SAE, and each level has a specific set of requirements that a vehicle must meet before it can be considered to operate at that level.