RQ: What are the ethical implications of autonomous vehicle decision-making in life-threatening scenarios?
Part 1 MLA Citation
“- YouTube.” The Ethics and Safety of Driverless Cars with Neil deGrasse Tyson & Malcolm Gladwell, StarTalk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=GneRo08cADc. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
Part 2: Summary
In the video “Self-Driving Cars and Ethical Dilemmas,” Malcolm Gladwell and Neil deGrasse Tyson explore the ethical and technical challenges of autonomous vehicles. Gladwell begins by examining the psychological changes that could happen if self-driving cars were to be the only forms of vehicles on the roads. Mr. Tyson suggests that pedestrians, knowing autonomous cars will stop to avoid accidents, might feel empowered to cross streets more freely, impacting traffic flow and potentially reducing vehicle efficiency. In a field experiment with Google’s Waymo, Mr. Gladwell confirms that the self-driving AI is excessively cautious, adhering strictly to traffic rules. The discussion progresses to safety trade-offs, with Tyson questioning society’s willingness to accept a lower overall fatality rate if some deaths result from AI errors. Gladwell argues that AI systems will learn and improve quickly, much like aviation technology, which has minimized fatal accidents over time. The conversation also raises questions about AI’s potential biases, especially in detecting people with darker skin tones at night, citing real-world examples like biased soap dispensers that fail to sense darker skin. The speakers conclude that while autonomous driving could be revolutionary, careful programming and extensive data diversity will be essential to address ethical and technical challenges.
Part 3: Rhetorical Analysis
Gladwell and Tyson’s primary audience includes tech developers, policymakers, and the general public interested in the future of autonomous technology. Their purpose is to provoke thoughtful discussion on the complexities of self-driving cars, especially concerning pedestrian behavior, potential biases, and ethical questions surrounding AI-caused fatalities. The genre is an interview discussion in the context of a podcast, characterized by conversational engagement and humor to ease into complex topics. Using a blend of logos and pathos, Gladwell appeals to logic by citing practical examples of pedestrian behavior, while Tyson taps into emotional concerns with stories of biased technology. As possibly the most credible figures in their respective fields, both speakers engage the audience by relating AI technology’s rapid advancement and by questioning its limitations and impacts on society.
Part 4: Notable Quotables
“If all the cars on the road are self-driving, then that changes the psychological dynamic between cars and pedestrians… The reason everyone doesn’t jaywalk all the time is that we know the human drivers of cars are imperfect.” (00.41)
“Corner cases… these are difficult, tricky situations, and my understanding is that in most of these cases, what the car does is it just stops.” (10:48)
“If I’m a Black man crossing the street at night, is the AI gonna know I’m there, or is it gonna think, clear street ahead, keep going?”(12:25)
