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GummyBearz

(2,931 posts) Thu Oct 29, 2015, 10:24 AM Oct 2015

Should A Self-Driving Car Kill Its Passengers In A “Greater Good” Scenario? [View all]

Last edited Thu Oct 29, 2015, 10:59 AM - Edit history (1)

I hadn't thought of this before...

Picture the scene: You’re in a self-driving car and, after turning a corner, find that you are on course for an unavoidable collision with a group of 10 people in the road with walls on either side. Should the car swerve to the side into the wall, likely seriously injuring or killing you, its sole occupant, and saving the group?

http://www.iflscience.com/technology/should-self-driving-car-be-programmed-kill-its-passengers-greater-good-scenario

edit: People seem to get hung up on the scenario in the article, so I am going to give another one, which I have encountered:

In my own experience, driving down PCH on friday/saturday night (45-55 mph speed limit), drunken groups of 20-somethings like to just cross the street any moment they want, instead of walking a bit further to the nearest stop light. So I think the scenario is legit... would my self driving car hit them or crash me?

36 replies

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Highlight:

Should A Self-Driving Car Kill Its Passengers In A “Greater Good” Scenario? [View all] GummyBearz Oct 2015 OP

Is this a self driving car without brakes? librechik Oct 2015 #1

If every car could always break in time there would never be an accident... GummyBearz Oct 2015 #2

it would stop and over to you, owner. They drive very slowly and have an override function. librechik Oct 2015 #4

I ryan_cats Oct 2015 #16

Bwahaha! valerief Oct 2015 #31

The computer would likely have a much faster reaction time in braking than a driver. ohnoyoudidnt Oct 2015 #25

Here's the problem with all the scenarios like these tkmorris Oct 2015 #3

I agree their scenario seems off GummyBearz Oct 2015 #5

It's almost physically impossible, really. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2015 #9

I hit a deer not long ago, managed to swerve enough I didn't hit it head on but crushed a headlight Fumesucker Oct 2015 #14

Reminds me of the time a tree jumped me. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2015 #15

Ok, here's the scenario Fumesucker Oct 2015 #22

First you would have to teach a calculator what "good" is. DetlefK Oct 2015 #6

You're going a bit off topic with the robot labor GummyBearz Oct 2015 #7

What's awesome is the ability to carjack people just by standing in the street jberryhill Oct 2015 #8

haha, that was good GummyBearz Oct 2015 #10

Still, being able to stop traffic with cardboard boxes is going to be fun jberryhill Oct 2015 #11

Especially ryan_cats Oct 2015 #18

Interesting for conversation, but car companies will not be wringing their hands over this kcr Oct 2015 #12

I don't see how this could ever be a scenario. Deadshot Oct 2015 #13

Ok, try this GummyBearz Oct 2015 #17

A couple of things, first, the accident would be the fault of the pedestrians.... Humanist_Activist Oct 2015 #19

Agreed. Deadshot Oct 2015 #24

Everything you said is right GummyBearz Oct 2015 #27

Not ryan_cats Oct 2015 #20

hehe :) GummyBearz Oct 2015 #29

I don't like "what ifs". Deadshot Oct 2015 #23

A valid position to have GummyBearz Oct 2015 #26

That eliminates the moral quality of life and reduces it to mere math Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2015 #21

Yes GummyBearz Oct 2015 #28

Ah, you've never driven in Philly during rush hour, have you jberryhill Oct 2015 #35

Yes, the sheer pleasure of driving... jberryhill Oct 2015 #34

Any car with that kind of judgement would refuse to take people anywhere. hunter Oct 2015 #30

Good point on the safety of driving in general GummyBearz Oct 2015 #32

Autonomous Cars of the Future will never have that kind of problem: kentauros Oct 2015 #33

The self-driving car that crashes you into a wall is the car no-one will buy. NutmegYankee Oct 2015 #36