These days, as computer software gets rapidly developed, many fields that use the software are getting to develop as well. Of many those fields, Car industry is remarkable. How the software has impacted on the car industry?
Since the past, we have become tired driving for a long time so, we have tried to figure out how we can prevent ourselves from being tired driving. Then, we actually figured out some alternatives such as better ride quality, wider inside of cars, and automotive navigation system that can tell you paths where the smaller number of cars are on. Despite with them, we could not reduce the tiredness itself. That is how autonomous cars started showing up in the world. The autonomous cars have a long history unexpectedly. In USA, one of robotics institute called ‘Navlab’ at Carnegie Mellon University gains a successful result of developing autonomous cars with Chevrolet van in 1896. Since then, every car companies jumps into the developments of autonomous cars.
The success development of autonomous cars gives car drivers freedom of driving. However, it ends up with causing serious ethical dilemma.
What kinds of ethical dilemma we get? Let’s assume you get into unavoidable car accidents while you drive an autonomous car. What if you can save many people’s lives by sacrificing your life, what action would you like to take?
In the process of being made of autonomous cars, they are programmed with navigation algorithms for a self-driving car, and software engineers for the algorithms are required to choose ethical obligations. Sacrificing the owner of the car or Sustaining the owner’s life.
In the case of sacrificing yourself, would you buy and drive the car when occupants are your families? In the case of surviving by harming others, would you be the only one survived in accidents when the others are innocent to die? In these two cases, you can see how hard the ethical dilemma is addressed. What is your call if you are getting into the accident? Sacrifice or Survive?
If I am one a software engineering on a team that is tasked with developing the navigation algorithm for a self-driving car, my ethical obligation would depend on observation of Road Traffic Act. In other words, I would like to develop the navigation algorithm that decides whose sin is greater based on Road Traffic Act.
Of course, it would be best not to face the inevitable accidents. However, it is not enough for current science to cover it up. Therefore, we will have to keep developing and fixing the navigation algorithm.