Self-driving cars have been a topic of interest and speculation for some time, with excitement around the potential benefits in terms of safety, convenience and freeing up time for drivers is enormous. However, as manufacturers continue to push the boundaries on self-driving car technology, there are still ethical questions that need to be addressed, including who is responsible in the event of an accident.
The first and most obvious question is on the fault of accidents. In traditional cars, the driver is always expected to be in control of the car and thus, responsible for any crashes or accidents they cause. In a self-driving car, however, the driver is not in control of the vehicle’s movements. Therefore, it begs the question: who is responsible when an accident occurs with a self-driving car?
Some manufacturers suggest that the driver remains responsible for the vehicle despite not being in control. It is crucial to point out that the driver’s responsibilities are not limited to simply monitoring that the car is driving safely. On the other hand, there are manufacturers like Tesla that have implemented a self-driving system that delivers full autonomous driving, with warnings for the driver to be ready in case of problems. However, this doesn’t mean that Tesla is faultless if one of their cars causes an accident.
Another critical issue that arises when discussing the ethics of self-driving cars is the decision-making process. Self-driving cars need to make decisions autonomously, which means that they have to follow a set of preprogrammed rules to avoid potentially dangerous situations. However, in situations where the car has to make the decision, for instance, veering to avoid hitting a pedestrian or crashing a car, ethical considerations must be observed.
The dilemma is what priority the car should consider when making decisions such as these. Would the outcome that minimizes human injuries take priority over the car’s occupants’ safety? For example, would a self-driving car decide to hit a group of pedestrians instead of a single pedestrian walking alone? If the passengers in the self-driving car are aware of this potential scenario, would they be at risk of harm if their car was programmed to prioritize the safety of others over their own?
Furthermore, it is essential to understand that AI-driven technology has biases. Self-driving cars can be designed to contribute to structural bias that has been observed in human drivers. For instance, an AI machine learning program could be designed to prioritize the safety of one demographic over another. This raises important ethical questions like – Is it ethical for self-driving cars to discriminate?
In conclusion, ethical issues continue to be a major consideration as self-driving cars become more prevalent. The fundamental question of fault on accidents is an issue that may undoubtedly end up being resolved in a court of law. However, the programming that forms the vehicle’s decision-making mechanisms remains an area of concern for the wider public. It’s important that as self-driving technology continues to develop, we address critical ethical considerations and strive to create a fair and responsibly designed system to support ethical decision-making.
