Abstract

This chapter critiques the use of the trolley problem—a well-known ethics thought experiment that highlights the limitations of utilitarian ethics—and its frequent application in discussions of autonomous vehicle safety. It introduces other approaches that include “moral crumple zones”, “wicked problems”, and gradations of system control, and considers the ethical issues of Department of Defense funding in tech companies. It suggests that approaches from design might help to better engender the dynamics at play in computational technologies and frame their ethical implications.