CST 373 Week 4

Scrapbook 4 - Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding Self-Driving Car Development

Uber suspends self-driving car program after Arizona crash by Gina Cherelus of Reuters (PDF archive)

Summary

Uber has been testing self-driving cars in Arizona through a pilot program they launched February 21st, 2017. This program allowed users to hail autonomous cars through the Uber ride-sharing platform, with two operators in the front seats that will step in when the car is unable to handle the situation. The autonomous ride-sharing vehicle saw its first accident March 24th, 2017 when a human-operated vehicle failed to yield to the Uber self-driving car while making a turn. The situation and investigation into the accident caused Uber to suspend the pilot program until further notice.

Reason Chosen

As interest in self-driving cars has become more prevalent and companies are racing to produce their own autonomous cars, real-world tests have become concerning and, at times, fatal. This is an interesting subject since we are observing how technical innovations may impact our regular routine of driving our own cars. These developments are also going to have a large impact on our workforce. If/when self-driving cars begin to populate the roads, there will be fewer employees necessary for delivery trucks and more needed in technology.

There are arguments in favor of self-driving car development that are the same as those against this. Both positions share the concern of safety on the road. Those in favor believe that there will be fewer accidents on the road and those that oppose believe there will be an increase in accidents. Because of these reasons, watching the development of these cars and their ethical battles is particularly interesting and sometimes concerning.

Ethical Implications and Personal and Social Values at Stake

The ethical implications with Uber running this pilot program primarily hinge on if they're doing it in the most responsible way possible, ensuring the safety of their customers. In late 2016, Uber had decided to not obtain permits in California that designated their cars as test cars, which ultimately lead to their car's California registrations being revoked. Following this, they began their pilot program in Arizona. Many stories have been released recently regarding ethical issues within the company. They've developed a reputation for not asking for permission to implement a service or intentionally deceiving officials and the public in an effort to expand their business.

By forcing themselves into certain businesses and practices, with what appears to be little concern for ethical responsibility and safety of others, the Uber brand is suffering. Halting their service in Arizona is a wise decision for now, but when will they resume it? Will Uber make improvements and add additional precautions to ensure this doesn't happen in the future? There were additional employees in the car that were supposed to take control when the car was presented with a difficult situation. Is it difficult to switch to human-operated and if it is, are those employees prepared to take over at any given moment?

Even if improvements are made, it's unlikely Uber can guarantee something similar won't happen again. More problems tend to arise as development and innovation progress. When there are two obstacles for a car, the software has to make a decision that decides on the best option. What if there are many factors? If the cars aren't ready for real-world situations and need more development time, would Uber admit that? It all raises the question if money or safety is more important to large companies, like Uber.

Source Credibility

Reuters is a well-known news source that was first established in 1851 and is headquartered in London, England. Their publication is global with 12 supported languages. They additionally have their own handbook that is designed to help them produce fair and reliable content.

Gina Cherelus is a reporter based in New York that has worked for Reuters for the past year as a U.S. General News Reporter. She obtained a degree in Journalism and Graphic Communication from Florida A&M University.