This reminds me of Waleed Aly's fantastic talk on Ethics & Technology in which he explored multiple ethical implications of self-driving cars.
Unfortunately, I can't find a recording of his talk (which I saw at Above All Human conf a few weeks ago) but here's an article about it, which may or may not capture the essence for other interested people: http://www.afr.com/p/tech-gadgets/see_an_ethicist_first_wale...
This implies that self-driving cars will be programmed with a morality superior to that of evil humans. It may be possible to program them that way, but what gives us faith that the profit-seeking entities who control them will allow them to be programmed that way? And that they will be required options?
What about the recent self-parking Volvo that didn't include a pedestrian avoidance system [1] and clobbered a pedestrian? It could have just as easily mauled that kid on his scooter in your apartment complex if the owner didn't pay for the "kid on a scooter avoidance system" and how would there by justice?
it's already illegal to do what you're describing. let me repeat that, for effect: already. illegal. it's against the law. you will literally be arrested and go to jail if you do that.
but don't let that stop you from passing 20 more laws, and then banning people from driving altogether after you realize that, as it turns out, criminals don't follow the law.
which is already happening, just look at the autonomous driving effort. which i'm sure makes you very happy. soon, nobody will drive, we will all be living in a perfect harmonious utopia of robotic sentience.
As self-driving cars come closer to reality, I fear your hypothetical will eventually become a real conversation someone will have to unironically have.
I've been saying for a few years now that self-driving cars are a fetish. (And can we please please call them "auto-autos"?) The thing to make is a self-driving golf cart. You could build that today, make it small, light, soft so it can't kill or maim people, sell a million of them.
(Old people! They still need to get around, they tend to be not so great drivers, and they don't mind the mellow, easy route.)
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