Dude, Where’s My Autonomous Vehicle?

Uri Aviv In 2016 researchers at the MIT media lab released a
digital game version of the trolley philosophical problem. Adapting
it to current time, they explored worldwide preferences on who
should die and who should be spared in a car crash involving an
autonomous vehicle. More than 2 million people participated from
all over the world, and the results are fascinating, but they are
but the starting point for a wider conversation. How should we
expect an autonomous car manufactured in the US, purchased in
Germany and driven to Scotland - or China - to act? The
conversation about the ethical, social and cultural implications of
autonomous vehicles includes the emotional implications of owning
and driving a car, the urban lifestyle and the ambiance of
different cities, illegal U-turns, and most importantly, gratuitous
honking.