Question
CASE STUDY 1
Ethical Decision Making in Autonomous Vehicle Technology
Sian Garcia
DeVry University
ETHC232
Professor Kuduk
January 24, 2025
Ethical Decision Making in Autonomous Vehicle Technology
This case study presents a critical situation where an automated vehicle must choose between three potential actions to avoid a pedestrian, raising pivotal questions about responsibility and ethics in self-driving technology. In the faced scenario, the self-driving vehicle's programmed response would likely prioritize minimizing harm to all involved occupants, bystanders, and other road users.
Given the parameters:
1. Swerve right: While this avoids the pedestrian, it risks injuring the occupants by crashing into a parked car, potentially causing harm to the passengers inside.
2. Swerve left: This option is equally dangerous, as it leads to a head-on collision with oncoming traffic, which may result in severe injuries not only to the vehicle's occupants but also to those in the other vehicle.
3. Continue straight: This option would cause harm to the pedestrian, likely inflicting life-threatening injuries or death.
Considering these choices, my technology should prioritize the option that minimizes harm, swerving to the right to avoid the pedestrian would likely be selected. Despite the risk to the occupants, it seems to spare the most lives overall.
There are several ethical considerations to consider such as
Ethical Decision Making in Autonomous Vehicle Technology
1. Utilitarianism: Striving to minimize harm to the greatest number aligns with utilitarian ethics, effectively guiding the vehicle's decision-making process. Focusing on the greatest good for the greatest number.
2. Rights and Justice: The decision must account for the rights of the pedestrian, who also deserves to be protected. The ethical principle of justice implies that all individuals should have their rights respected, regardless of the situation.
3. Responsibility for Action and Inaction: Designers must consider the implications of both actions and inactions. The outcomes can lead to complex accountability scenarios, especially if harm is done.
As the designer of this driving technology, the ethical responsibility should not only be to the occupants of the vehicle. The passengers are a priority, but responsibility must extend to all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers. The ethical obligation is to create a technology that ensure safety for the greatest number overall.
If the scenario was changed to feature one occupant in the vehicle and three pedestrians on the road, this would not shift the decision making. One prioritizing the
lives of three over one will come into question, but the action taken might then lean towards swerving or braking, aiming to avoid harming the greater number of pedestrians. However, this raises ethical questions about the value of an individual life versus whether a decision based on quantity of lives. The decision will still remain the same that my technology will ensure safety for all.
In summary, as engineers, it is important to factor in safety as well as ethical implications essential to program these vehicles not only with an eye towards technical efficiency but also with a robust ethical framework that values the lives of all individuals on the road. The balance between both has to be worked within the program framework.
is this in apa format
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The content you've provided is a case study, but it does not fully adhere to APA format. APA style has specific guidelines regarding headings, citations, references, and general formatting. Here are the key points to consider and some suggestions for you to adjust your case study to fit APA standards:
### General Formatting:
1. **Font and Size**: Use a standard font such as 12-pt Times New Roman, 11-pt Arial, or 11-pt Calibri.
2. **Margins**: Set 1-inch margins on all sides of your document.
3. **Spacing**: Use double-spacing throughout the entire paper, including the title page, abstract, body, references, and any table or figure captions.
4. **Paragraph Indentation**: The first line of each paragraph should be indented by 0.5 inches.
### Title Page:
- Include a title page with the following centered on the page:
- Title of the paper (bold and in title case)
- Author's name
- Institution name
- Course name
- Professor's name
- Date
### Running Head:
- On the title page, include a running head in the header (for professional papers). For student papers, include just the page number in the right corner.
### Headings:
- Use APA heading levels correctly. For example:
- Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case
- Level 2: Flush Left, Bold, Title Case
### In-Text Citations:
- If you're referencing external sources, you must cite them properly in text. For example, (Author, Year).
### References:
- If your case study references other works, include a references page at the end with full citations in APA format.
### Conclusion and Recommendations:
Your conclusion can summarize the main points without being overly verbose, and any calls for further research or considerations should be highlighted.
### Example Abstract:
- An abstract is typically 150-250 words summarizing the key points of your case study. This should be placed on its own page after your title page.
### Example of Headings:
Here's how you might structure the headings more clearly:
```
Ethical Decision Making in Autonomous Vehicle Technology
Abstract
[Insert abstract here]
Introduction
[Content here]
Scenario Analysis
[Content here]
Ethical Considerations
1. Utilitarianism
[Content here]
2. Rights and Justice
[Content here]
3. Responsibility for Action and Inaction
[Content here]
Conclusion
[Content here]
```
### References
(Note: The following is an example and should list actual sources used).
```
AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstInitial. (Year). Title of the work. Publisher.
```
### Final Note:
Make sure to proofread your document for grammar, punctuation, and APA style consistency. If you include real references, ensure they follow the APA formatting guidelines.
You can get more guidance on APA formatting by referring to the *Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition* or checking resources readily available online, such as the Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab).
### General Formatting:
1. **Font and Size**: Use a standard font such as 12-pt Times New Roman, 11-pt Arial, or 11-pt Calibri.
2. **Margins**: Set 1-inch margins on all sides of your document.
3. **Spacing**: Use double-spacing throughout the entire paper, including the title page, abstract, body, references, and any table or figure captions.
4. **Paragraph Indentation**: The first line of each paragraph should be indented by 0.5 inches.
### Title Page:
- Include a title page with the following centered on the page:
- Title of the paper (bold and in title case)
- Author's name
- Institution name
- Course name
- Professor's name
- Date
### Running Head:
- On the title page, include a running head in the header (for professional papers). For student papers, include just the page number in the right corner.
### Headings:
- Use APA heading levels correctly. For example:
- Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case
- Level 2: Flush Left, Bold, Title Case
### In-Text Citations:
- If you're referencing external sources, you must cite them properly in text. For example, (Author, Year).
### References:
- If your case study references other works, include a references page at the end with full citations in APA format.
### Conclusion and Recommendations:
Your conclusion can summarize the main points without being overly verbose, and any calls for further research or considerations should be highlighted.
### Example Abstract:
- An abstract is typically 150-250 words summarizing the key points of your case study. This should be placed on its own page after your title page.
### Example of Headings:
Here's how you might structure the headings more clearly:
```
Ethical Decision Making in Autonomous Vehicle Technology
Abstract
[Insert abstract here]
Introduction
[Content here]
Scenario Analysis
[Content here]
Ethical Considerations
1. Utilitarianism
[Content here]
2. Rights and Justice
[Content here]
3. Responsibility for Action and Inaction
[Content here]
Conclusion
[Content here]
```
### References
(Note: The following is an example and should list actual sources used).
```
AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstInitial. (Year). Title of the work. Publisher.
```
### Final Note:
Make sure to proofread your document for grammar, punctuation, and APA style consistency. If you include real references, ensure they follow the APA formatting guidelines.
You can get more guidance on APA formatting by referring to the *Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition* or checking resources readily available online, such as the Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab).