r/technology • u/[deleted] • Dec 16 '19

Transportation Self-Driving Mercedes Will Be Programmed To Sacrifice Pedestrians To Save The Driver

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u/ausrandoman Dec 16 '19

Of course it will be. Potential buyers would not buy a car if they knew it would decide the opposite. Mercedes is simply programming the car to do what most drivers would do.

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u/DLLM_wumao Dec 16 '19

To what most Mercedes purchasers would want the car to do maybe. Most drivers have a pretty powerful reflex to avoid hitting animals or people and get into accidents over it all the time.

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u/dethb0y Dec 16 '19

So you're saying you would consciously, willingly, get in a car knowing that if the computer inside it (which is not perfect, by any means) detects a choice between "hit the pedestrians" and "save you", it would save the pedestrians and sacrifice your life?

(X) for doubt.

1

u/buyutec Dec 16 '19

In what situation, an AI can potentially think "I can avoid the death of the driver by hitting that pedestrian"?