Imagine a future where autonomous (self-driving) vehicles are common. One such vehicle, developed by AutoDrive Technologies, is cruising down a busy city street. Suddenly, a situation arises where the vehicle must make a split-second decision in an unavoidable crash scenario.

​

A pedestrian unexpectedly steps onto the road, and the vehicle must instantly choose between two actions: swerve to avoid hitting the pedestrian, which would put the passenger at risk, or stay its course, protecting the passenger but likely harming the pedestrian.

​

This scenario brings to light a significant ethical dilemma in the programming of autonomous vehicles. How should the vehicle's AI be programmed to react in such life-and-death situations? Who decides what the vehicle should prioritize, and how can these decisions be ethically justified? AutoDrive Technologies now faces the challenge of integrating moral and ethical decision-making into their machines, a task that goes beyond traditional engineering.

​

Questions for Reflection:

1. How should the AI in autonomous vehicles be programmed to respond in situations where harm is unavoidable? Should it prioritize the safety of the passenger, the pedestrian, or try to minimize overall harm?

2. What ethical principles should guide the programming of these life-and-death decisions in autonomous vehicles?

3. Who should be responsible for making these ethical decisions - the engineers, the company, regulators, or society as a whole?

4. If you were a passenger in an autonomous vehicle, how would you want it to be programmed in such scenarios? What if you were the pedestrian?