The Murky Ethics of Driverless Cars

A new study explores a moral dilemma facing the creators of self-driving vehicles: In an accident, whose lives should they prioritize?

By Tom Jacobs

So you’re driving down a dark road late at night when suddenly a child comes darting out onto the pavement. Instinctively, you swerve, putting your own safety in jeopardy to spare her life.

Very noble of you. But would you want your driverless vehicle to do the same?

That question, which can be found idling at the intersection of technology and ethics, is posed in the latest issue of Science. A variation on the famous trolley dilemma, it won’t be theoretical for long: Self-driving vehicles are coming soon, and they will need to be programmed how to respond to emergencies.

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Continua qui: https://psmag.com/the-murky-ethics-of-driverless-cars-6115903eba1c#