Trolleys, crashes, and perception-a survey on how current autonomous vehicles debates invoke problematic...

Area of Science:

• Ethics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Transportation Policy

Background:

• Current ethical guidelines for autonomous vehicles (AVs) predominantly rely on simplified 'Trolley Problem' scenarios.
• These traditional ethical dilemmas lack realism, potentially limiting their applicability to real-world AV decision-making.
• Existing research often overlooks crucial factors like time constraints and nuanced decision options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of more realistic factors on ethical preferences for autonomous vehicles.
• To challenge the generalizability of findings derived from simplistic ethical dilemmas.
• To inform policy discussions by highlighting the need for practical AV ethical frameworks.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an ethical preference survey for autonomous vehicles incorporating realistic elements.
• Included variables such as time pressure and non-binary decision options in survey scenarios.
• Examined framing effects related to the perceived capabilities of autonomous vehicles.

Main Results:

• Introducing realistic features like time pressure and non-binary choices yielded different ethical outcomes compared to standard scenarios.
• The results question the broad applicability of current ethical preference data for AV policy.
• Framing of AV capabilities influenced participant responses, underscoring the importance of setting realistic expectations.

Conclusions:

• The 'Trolley Problem' is insufficient for developing practical autonomous vehicle ethical guidelines.
• Future research and policy debates should incorporate more realistic scenarios and constraints.
• Focusing on unacceptable AV behaviors, rather than a single 'right' solution, may foster consensus.