Will Your Driverless Car

Introduction

  • Op-ed discussing ethical dilemmas associated with driverless cars in emergency situations

  • Focus on choices involving saving passengers versus pedestrians

Scenario Description

  • Year: 2025, setting: Pacific Coast Highway

  • Example given of car detecting a crosswalk with children while navigating tricky conditions

  • The dilemma of whether to prioritize the life of the pedestrians or the passengers in the car

Ethical Considerations

  • Collision Avoidance Algorithms:

    • The algorithms will need to make quick decisions in life-and-death situations

    • Different programming choices could reflect various ethical priorities of passengers

    • Utilitarian Approach: Maximizing lives saved may not consider the safety of car occupants

    • Safety vs. Sacrifice: The conflict of sacrificing passengers to save others

Potential Regulations and Consumer Freedom

  • Call for regulatory frameworks near self-certification of vehicle safety by manufacturers

  • Consumer Autonomy: Users might want to choose algorithms based on personal values

  • Comparison to how current rules apply to drivers:

    • Freedom to opt-out of conventional driving norms

  • Regulatory Boundaries:

    • Setting limits on how aggressive or safety-focused the algorithms should be

    • Moral determinism about how a vehicle should respond to avoid collisions

Safety Program Design

  • Passenger Prioritization:

    • Cars could be programmed to either protect passengers, pedestrians, or balance both

    • Need for public transparency regarding decision-making processes in car algorithms

  • Consequences of Design Choices:

    • Distinctions in safety design could reflect societal values regarding life preservation

    • Ethical implications of sacrificing passengers for others

Broader Implications

  • Driverless cars will have powerful capabilities with considerable moral implications

  • Questions about who is responsible for these decisions: the manufacturer, the programmer, or society?

Conclusion

  • Emphasis on the importance of involving public discourse on programming ethics in autonomous vehicles

  • Eric Schwitzgebel's background: Professor of Philosophy, UC Riverside, expert on consciousness and ethical implications of technology