The Popularization of the Trolley Problem and Programming Heroism in Autonomous Cars

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This chapter explores the cultural popularity of the trolley problem and its connection to autonomous cars, discussing various scenarios and ethical instincts. It also delves into the potential dilemmas faced by autonomous cars, including prioritizing certain lives, preventing terrorist acts, and programming heroism.

It’s easy to foresee that technological progress will change how we live; it’s much harder to anticipate exactly how. Self-driving cars represent an enormous technological challenge, but one that is plausibly on the way to being solved. What will be the unanticipated consequences when autonomous vehicles become commonplace? Jason Torchinsky is a fan of technology, but also a fan of driving, and his recent book Robot, Take the Wheel examines how our relationship with cars is likely to change in the near future.

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Jason Torchinsky is a senior editor at Jalopnik. His writing has also appeared in venues such as Boing Boing, Muck Rack, and Mother Jones. He is a producer and occasional guest star on Jay Leno’s Garage, and has been the host of the YouTube series Jason Drives.