[ExI] Self-Driving Cars Must Make Ethical Decisions

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of Tara Maya
Subject: Re: [ExI] Self-Driving Cars Must Make Ethical Decisions

>...My prediction is that the biggest danger of self-driving cars will be if
they are susceptible to being hacked by malicious humans. Harm will be done
on purpose, by trolls or terrorists, far exceeding what will happen by
unavoidable accidents. ...Tara Maya



I can imagine a system where the control algorithms are entirely contained
as firmware, on an EM shielded device with no I/O, , in which a module must
be physically removed and replaced to update firmware, in which the car must
identify and match the firmware module before it would do anything.

It could still be hacked, but it would need to be done at the factory to the
firmware module, so the company would likely have a good shot at controlling
that.

Alternative: the car biggies would just supply the car with a slot to plug
in a control module but not the module.  The controls would all be fitted
with actuators, so that if a suitable control module is plugged in, the car
will go on its own.  But the car company would not take responsibility for
the firmware.

spike