Page 1 of 1
Interesting Ethical Concept
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 8:14 pm
by Spock
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 26472.html
Could/should your self-driving car be programmed to kill you to prevent greater loss of life?
Re: Interesting Ethical Concept
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:14 am
by earendel
Sounds like an application of the Zeroth Law of Robotics. See also Asimov's short story "Sally".
Re: Interesting Ethical Concept
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:42 am
by SpacemanSpiff
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few... or the one?
Re: Interesting Ethical Concept
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:13 am
by BackInTex
Hopefully the car will know that the single passenger is on his/her way to the CDC with knowledge of the final piece of the formula that cures cancer.
Re: Interesting Ethical Concept
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 8:14 am
by Spock
I really have a problem with the concept of not being able to drive a car-#1 is that I LOVE to drive. #2 is that not everywhere has an address. How do you tell a vehicle that I want to go to the deerstand behind the grove on the north 40?
I am 48-I am glad that the vast majority of my life was/will be lived before the self-driving car thing.
In the same vein-IIRC I think it is Elon Musk that recently said he is more scared of AI than he is of nuclear weapons. Not sure if he said the following or if it was an offshoot of the discussion.
You might have an AI program that is tasked with dealing with junk email spam-who might decide that the best way to deal with spam would be to wipe out humans.
Re: Interesting Ethical Concept
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 10:29 am
by Bob78164
earendel wrote:
Sounds like an application of the Zeroth Law of Robotics. See also Asimov's short story "Sally".
As I recall it (though not from "Sally"), the Zeroth Law is much narrower, being confined to existential threats to the human race. --Bob
Re: Interesting Ethical Concept
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 11:33 am
by earendel
Bob78164 wrote:earendel wrote:
Sounds like an application of the Zeroth Law of Robotics. See also Asimov's short story "Sally".
As I recall it (though not from "Sally"), the Zeroth Law is much narrower, being confined to existential threats to the human race. --Bob
Asimov had several variations to the Zeroth Law, depending on circumstances. In the later Foundation books the robots R. Daneel Olivaw and Dors Venabilis were able to harm individuals in order that large numbers not be harmed.