The Ethics of Self-Driving Cars: Part 1

EUGE...QVav

18 Jul 2023

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Self-driving cars are no longer a futuristic dream. They are becoming a reality, with companies like Tesla, Google, Uber, and others testing and developing autonomous vehicles that can drive themselves without human intervention. But as these cars hit the road, they also raise a number of ethical questions that need to be addressed.

How should self-driving cars behave in situations where human lives are at stake? Who is responsible for the accidents and harms caused by self-driving cars? How can we ensure that self-driving cars are fair, transparent, and respectful of human values and rights?

In this article, we will explore some of the ethical challenges and opportunities that self-driving cars present, and how we can approach them in a responsible and ethical way.

What are self-driving cars? 🚗

Self-driving cars are vehicles that can operate without human drivers, using sensors, cameras, artificial intelligence, and software to perceive their environment, navigate traffic, and follow rules and regulations. Self-driving cars can be classified into different levels of automation, from level 0 (no automation) to level 5 (full automation).

Level 5 self-driving cars are capable of driving in any condition and scenario without human input or supervision. However, most of the current self-driving cars are still at level 2 or 3, which means they require human drivers to monitor and intervene in certain situations.

Self-driving cars have many potential benefits for society, such as:

Reducing traffic congestion and pollution by optimizing routes and fuel efficiency
Improving road safety and saving lives by preventing human errors and distractions
Enhancing mobility and accessibility for people who cannot drive due to age, disability, or other reasons
Increasing productivity and convenience by allowing drivers to focus on other tasks or activities while traveling
Creating new economic opportunities and jobs in the automotive industry and related sectors

However, self-driving cars also pose many ethical challenges that need to be addressed before they can be widely adopted and trusted by the public.

How should self-driving cars make moral decisions? 🤔

One of the most debated ethical issues related to self-driving cars is how they should make moral decisions in situations where human lives are at stake. For example, imagine a self-driving car is driving on a narrow bridge when it encounters an obstacle that forces it to swerve. On one side of the bridge, there is a group of five pedestrians; on the other side, there is a single motorcyclist. If the car swerves to avoid the obstacle, it will hit either the pedestrians or the motorcyclist. What should the car do?

This is a variation of the famous trolley problem, a hypothetical dilemma that philosophers have used to explore the ethics of consequentialism (the idea that actions should be judged by their outcomes) versus deontology (the idea that actions should be judged by their adherence to moral rules). There is no clear or universally accepted answer to this problem, as different people may have different moral intuitions, values, and preferences. Some may argue that the car should minimize the number of deaths by hitting the motorcyclist; others may argue that the car should respect the rights of the motorcyclist who is not at fault; others may argue that the car should not make any decision at all and let fate decide.

However, unlike humans who can act intuitively or emotionally in such situations, self-driving cars have to follow pre-programmed algorithms that determine how they will behave in different scenarios. These algorithms have to be designed by engineers who have to make explicit ethical choices based on certain criteria and principles. But who are these engineers, and what criteria and principles do they use? How do they account for the diversity and complexity of human values and cultures? How do they balance competing interests and trade-offs? How do they ensure that their algorithms are fair, transparent, and accountable?

These are not easy questions to answer, as they involve not only technical expertise but also moral reasoning and social responsibility. Moreover, these questions cannot be answered by engineers alone; they require input from various stakeholders such as policymakers, regulators, consumers, ethicists, lawyers, and civil society groups. One possible way to address these questions is to adopt a participatory approach that involves co-designing and co-evaluating self-driving car algorithms with the people who will be affected by them, and ensuring that they reflect the values and preferences of the society they serve.

Another possible way is to adopt a pluralistic approach that allows for different self-driving car algorithms to coexist and compete in the market, and let the consumers choose the ones that match their moral views. However, both of these approaches have their own challenges and limitations, such as ensuring representation, inclusion, and accountability.

Who is responsible for the accidents and harms caused by self-driving cars? 😱

Another ethical issue related to self-driving cars is who is responsible for the accidents and harms caused by them. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.3 million people die every year in road traffic crashes, and millions more are injured or disabled. Human factors, such as speeding, drunk driving, distraction, fatigue, or error, are the main causes of these crashes.

Self-driving cars have the potential to reduce these crashes by eliminating human factors and improving safety standards. However, self-driving cars are not perfect or infallible; they can still malfunction, make mistakes, or encounter situations that they are not prepared for. Moreover, self-driving cars can also cause new types of harms, such as cyberattacks, privacy breaches, or discrimination.

When self-driving cars cause accidents or harms, who should be held liable? Is it the driver, the carmaker, the software developer, the regulator, or someone else? How should the liability be determined and distributed? How should the victims be compensated and protected? How should the perpetrators be punished and deterred?

These are not only ethical but also legal questions that need to be addressed by clear and consistent rules and regulations. However, the current legal frameworks for road traffic are based on the assumption that human drivers are in control of their vehicles and are responsible for their actions.

These frameworks may not be adequate or applicable for self-driving cars that can act autonomously and independently of human drivers. Therefore, there is a need to revise and update the legal frameworks to accommodate the new realities and challenges of self-driving cars.

One possible way to address these questions is to adopt a strict liability approach that holds the carmakers or software developers liable for any accident or harm caused by their self-driving cars, regardless of fault or negligence. This approach would incentivize them to ensure the highest level of safety and quality for their products and services, and would simplify the process of compensation and redress for the victims.

However, this approach may also discourage innovation and competition in the self-driving car industry, as it may expose them to excessive risks and costs. Another possible way is to adopt a fault-based liability approach that holds the driver or user liable for any accident or harm caused by their self-driving car if they fail to exercise reasonable care or follow proper instructions.

This approach would incentivize them to monitor and intervene in their self-driving car when necessary, and would respect their autonomy and choice. However, this approach may also create confusion and uncertainty for the driver or user, as it may not be clear when and how they should intervene or what constitutes reasonable care.

Conclusion 🏁

Self-driving cars are an exciting and promising technology that can bring many benefits for society. However, they also pose many ethical challenges that need to be addressed before they can be widely adopted and trusted by the public.

In this article, we have explored some of these challenges, such as how self-driving cars should make moral decisions and who is responsible for the accidents and harms caused by them. We have also discussed some possible ways to address these challenges, such as adopting a participatory or pluralistic approach for designing self-driving car algorithms, and adopting a strict or fault-based liability approach for regulating self-driving car accidents. However, these are not definitive or comprehensive solutions; they are only starting points for further discussion and debate.

In part 2 of this article, we will explore some more ethical challenges related to self-driving cars, such as how to ensure that they are fair, transparent, and respectful of human values and rights.

Question for you 🙋

What do you think about the ethical issues related to self-driving cars? How would you design or regulate self-driving car algorithms? Share your thoughts in the comments below!