The Trolley Problem and Self-Driving Vehicles

Why a Driverless Future is Ethically Necessary

Image by Lucky2013 on Pixabay

One of the most popular discussions in the field of technology today is that of self-driving vehicles. It’s a topic that brings up both optimistic joy and pessimistic fear, from the elimination of car-related fatalities to the elimination of millions of jobs. I usually stand on the optimistic side of the argument, but I also understand the fear.

After all:

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were nearly 1.8 million heavy-truck and tractor-trailer drivers in 2014, with a 5% increase per year. Meaning, there are likely over 2 million of these drivers today.
• There were around 1.33 million delivery truck drivers in 2014, with a 4% increase per year. Meaning, there are over 1.5 million today.
• There were around 233,700 taxi drivers and chauffeurs in 2014, with a 13% increase per year. Meaning, there are over 300,000 of these drivers today.

In other words, with the full mobilization of self-driving vehicles, we’re looking at around (+/-) 4 million jobs being automated in the next few years, thus no longer requiring human labor. This particular risk, however, isn’t what I’m currently focused on. The main focus of this article is on what is known as…