Continuing the series on real-life versions of the trolley problem. Today we tackle self-driving cars, and we’ll add a third choice.
(Note: The AI in the self-driving car is the actor, i.e., the one making the decision, but the responsibility for the decision would land on the programmers. I am a software developer. This one hits home.)
A pedestrian steps into the road in front of your driverless car with four passengers. Veering left means hitting an oncoming vehicle with an unknown number of passengers, and veering right means hitting a telephone pole. You have the following three options:
- Do nothing and kill the pedestrian. All passengers in both cars live.
- Veer left and kill all of the passengers in the oncoming vehicle and two of the passengers in yours. The pedestrian and two passengers live.
- Veer right and kill all of the passengers in your vehicle. The pedestrian and passengers in the oncoming vehicle live.
What is the right thing to do?
Let’s add nuance.
What if the pedestrian was a mother pushing a stroller?
What if the passengers in the oncoming vehicle were murderers racing to escape the scene?
What if they were children on the way to school?
What if the pedestrian was a homeless drug user under the influence?
What if the passengers in your vehicle were all over 70 years old?
What if there was only one passenger in the oncoming vehicle?
What if the passengers in your vehicle are your wife and children?
