A philosophical question

[daducky88 10]

These made-up situations are never like real life, the first reaction is to brake.

 

Maybe.

 

About 3 month ago i was on the road between the m1 and chesterfield.

I was following the limit.

Bollards cut 2 lanes to 1.

At the same point an old fella moved out in front from a layby.

He had moved out exceptionally close in front of me, and my mind made a conscious choice between hitting him by braking as hard as poss. Or trying to swerve round him and hope to god there were no hgvs round the bend.

So the bollards got it. Went flying.

He was untouched.

I was extremly lucky.

And shaking.

I pulled off somewhere to gather my wits before timidly and carefully continuing.

Edited February 6, 2018 by daducky88
typos

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

Driverless cars will use multimedia to access the credit ratings of each potential victim in the event of such a choice, and by means of a financial algorithm, select the poorest people as expendable. This is the wonder of digital technology and superfast information flows.

 

Radio 5 this morning, cannot remember the guy's name who was been interviewed, but he was a professor from Huddersfield University. As the interview was on driverless cars and heavy trucks it's safe to presume he must be well versed in these matters. According to himself, driverless cars will not happen, but he can forsee trains of driverless trucks going down the motorways in convoy.

 

Angel1.

[L00b 441]

These made-up situations are never like real life, the first reaction is to brake.

I was in that very situation over 2 decades ago. Kid ran out of a jennel between 2 cars, in a very narrow street with cars parked on one side. I wad coming down at 25-30. Young and still inexperienced, I shouldn't have been doing anymore than 15-20.

 

My first reaction was to swerve and brake at the same time. I (still) can't explain it, because it happened far too fast. I just knew instantly (and I mean nanosecond-instant), that there was no way I could emergency-stop in time. So as I braked -with the kid about middle of the road as I came to his level- I swerved towards the jennel, about a car length in the line of parked cars.

 

I avoided the kid. Probably by no more than a couple of feet. I knackered the left side axle, including the wheel hub (that had the shape of the bollard I crash-stopped against, in it).

 

A good outcome, all things considered. Oh, and there's your answer OP: in real life, it's all reflexes, you're (consciously speaking) only just along for the ride

Edited February 6, 2018 by L00b

[daducky88 10]

I was in that very situation over 2 decades ago. Kid ran out of a jennel ...

 

I avoided the kid. Probably by no more than a couple of feet. I knackered the left side axle, including the wheel hub (that had the shape of the bollard I crash-stopped against, in it).]

 

 

Well done loob! :-)

Its an interesting observation that experience helps theory embed.

[ENG601PM 10]

Oh, and there's your answer OP: in real life, it's all reflexes, you're (consciously speaking) only just along for the ride

All agreed but the OP was wondering about AI machines, not people, and the AI machine needs a decision matrix. It can't just be along for the ride.

[cgksheff 44]

All agreed but the OP was wondering about AI machines, not people, and the AI machine needs a decision matrix. It can't just be along for the ride.

 

The OP makes no reference to AI.

[ENG601PM 10]

The OP makes no reference to AI.

 

It's implicit in the poser

What do the designers of a driverless car decide the car should do in similar situation?

Can they decide?

 

I had assumed that the OP wasn't talking about cars rolling down hills after the family labrador has knocked the handbrake.

[cgksheff 44]

It's implicit in the poser

 

I had assumed that the OP wasn't talking about cars rolling down hills after the family labrador has knocked the handbrake.

 

I stand corrected.

Thanks.

[truman 10]

Radio 5 this morning, cannot remember the guy's name who was been interviewed, but he was a professor from Huddersfield University. As the interview was on driverless cars and heavy trucks it's safe to presume he must be well versed in these matters. According to himself, driverless cars will not happen, but he can forsee trains of driverless trucks going down the motorways in convoy.

 

Angel1.

 

We already have that..it's called the railway

[ENG601PM 10]

We already have that..it's called the railway

 

I'm not living on any platform, no matter how fast your overarm is.

[L00b 441]

All agreed but the OP was wondering about AI machines, not people, and the AI machine needs a decision matrix. It can't just be along for the ride.

Since no decision matrix can overrule laws of physics, the OP should usefully be referenced to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, pursuant to the first of which (if implemented adequately) an AI car would likely follow the same approach (brake and avoid, crash if needed) that I did out of reflex.

[ENG601PM 10]

Since no decision matrix can overrule laws of physics, the OP should usefully be referenced to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, pursuant to the first of which (if implemented adequately) an AI car would likely follow the same approach (brake and avoid, crash if needed) that I did out of reflex.

 

Asimov's law breaks down immediately in the OP's very real scenario though.

 

From a commercial perspective (I know you'll like this as an IP chap) who is going to buy / use a car which kills the owner / occupant in my scenario where the algorithm says killing the occupant is better than killing the 6 children on the crossing?

 

---------- Post added 07-02-2018 at 13:56 ----------

 

Do children have less economic value than the OAPs who are costing the nation billions in healthcare costs, pensions and other benefits ?

 

Yes children do have less economic value than OAP's. By way of easy explanation, OAP's pay still 11% of income tax.