The Trolley Problem in Self-Driving Cars
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Questions and Answers

What is the scenario presented in the thought experiment?

  • A pedestrian suddenly crossing the road
  • A collision with a large object on the highway (correct)
  • Being stuck in a traffic jam
  • Driving on a mountain road
  • What would be the outcome if the self-driving car were to hit the large object?

  • The passenger would be unharmed
  • The car would sacrifice the passenger's life to minimize danger to others (correct)
  • The car would prioritize the safety of others
  • The car would take the middle ground by hitting the SUV
  • What is the expected outcome of self-driving cars on road safety?

  • An increase in traffic accidents
  • No difference in traffic accidents
  • Traffic accidents will be eliminated
  • A dramatic reduction in traffic accidents (correct)
  • What would be the difference between a human driver's reaction and a self-driving car's decision in the same scenario?

    <p>The human driver would react instinctively, while the self-driving car would make a deliberate decision</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the predicted benefits of self-driving cars, aside from improved road safety?

    <p>Eased road congestion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary concern in designing autonomous vehicles?

    <p>Minimizing harm to all parties involved</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the consequence of designing an autonomous vehicle that favors or discriminates against a certain type of object to crash into?

    <p>The owners of the target vehicles will suffer the negative consequences of this algorithm through no fault of their own</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of thought experiments in considering the ethics of autonomous vehicles?

    <p>To isolate and stress test our intuitions on ethics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a potential challenge in designing an autonomous vehicle that prioritizes minimizing harm?

    <p>The vehicle may lead to morally murky decisions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who should be involved in making the difficult decisions about the design of autonomous vehicles?

    <p>Programmers, companies, and governments</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    The Ethics of Self-Driving Cars

    • A self-driving car faces a moral dilemma when it encounters an unavoidable collision: should it prioritize the safety of its passenger, minimize harm to others, or take a middle ground?
    • The car's decision is not an instinctual reaction but a deliberate choice programmed by humans, making it a premeditated decision.

    The Dilemma

    • The car is faced with three options: hit a large object, swerve left into an SUV, or swerve right into a motorcycle.
    • Each option has moral implications: prioritizing the passenger's safety, minimizing harm to others, or taking a middle ground.

    The Murky Ethics of Decision-Making

    • Minimizing harm is a principle, but it leads to morally complex decisions, such as choosing between crashing into a motorcyclist with or without a helmet.
    • Saving the motorcyclist with a helmet could be seen as penalizing the responsible motorist.
    • Saving the motorcyclist without a helmet could be seen as meting out street justice.

    Complications and Implications

    • The design of the self-driving car's decision-making algorithm raises concerns about systematically favoring or discriminating against certain types of objects (or people).
    • The owners of the target vehicles may suffer negative consequences through no fault of their own.
    • The dilemma raises questions about who should make these decisions: programmers, companies, or governments?

    Broader Implications

    • The thought experiment highlights the importance of considering ethics in technology development.
    • It raises questions about the use of algorithms that prioritize certain lives over others.
    • The experiment stresses the importance of discussing and addressing these ethical concerns before they become reality.

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    Description

    Imagine you're in a self-driving car and a large object falls off the truck in front of you. Your car needs to make a decision to avoid the collision, but it has to choose between hitting the object, an SUV, or a motorcycle. What should it do? Take this quiz to explore the ethical dilemma of the trolley problem in autonomous vehicles.

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