[osterwood]

There is an unfortunately large disconnect between the general public's understanding of robotics, and the reality of robotics. I don't know how to reduce it, and feel it's important to.

The hypothetical "how should a robot car decided which bystander to hit when it looses control" or similar trolley problems are so so so far off in the future. Right now autonomous cars can't even operate in inclement weather.

I do find the concept of "moral reasoning" in robots an interesting one, but again feel the author has skipped into the far further and missed more tractable questions. If moral reasoning were in place today, I think the likely decision of all autonomous cars would be to drive slower. Is saving a few minutes of a trip worth dramatically greater probability of fatality? US DOT found that speed limit increases from 55 to 65 MPH increase the likelihood of fatality by 24% once an accident occurred.

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/speedmgt/ref_mats/fhwasa09028/re...