Ryan Jenkins, David Černý and Tomáš Hříbek (eds) Autonomous Vehicle Ethics: The Trolley Problem and Beyond

What the paper says

While the 'trolley problem', of which more later, features in the title of this book, the editors note that this publication is a 'substantial and purposeful effort ' (p.xxi) to look beyond the confines of the conundrum that is the trolley problem.What challenges do autonomous vehicles (AVs) and their advocates face as they are deployed in the modern world?They encounter a social space populated by people, vehicles (some autonomous, some not), awash with unpredictable behaviours and complex, demanding and dynamic, physical infrastructures.The contents of this book will resonate with those interested in technologies beyond AVs as many of the issues raised by the contributors are along similar lines to concerns in artificial intelligence (AIs).AVs and AI are not at the opposite ends of a technological spectrum, but AVs represent a very physical manifestation of technologies whereas AI seems obscure and ethereal to many people.Both AVs and AI are conceptually, and sometimes physically, entwined with the Internet of Things (IoT).One might cite certain commonalities to create a typology of technologies, but the dynamic nature of these technologies and their applications mean that attempts to define them in any absolute manner will almost certainly be problematic and have a short shelf life.Such an observation might offend the sensibilities of engineers and scientists, but for perhaps most of the population AVs, AI and other complex technologies might just as well be magical.As Arthur C Clarke noted, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic ' ( 1973, p.39).Just because a subject may be challenging and complex does not mean one cannot hold a positive perspective and we are granted insights into the stance of the editors when we learn that Ryan Jenkins wants to 'bend the arc of technological progress to minimise human suffering' (p.v) that results from automobile accident injuries and deaths, and Tom Hbek 'dedicates the book to all those who are tired of being drivers and hope to be liberated by AV technology' (p.v).Minimizing human suffering is an idea that runs throughout the book and one that predates our current technological level.The concept of liberating drivers is worth noting since automobiles were often seen as opportunities for personal freedom and liberation from social constraints in the early days of their adoption.Human-driven vehicles offered private social spaces secure from the surveillance of others.Yet, like many technologies, they are now seen (by some at least) as restricting liberty.Drivers imprisoned in the routine of commuting might agree.Simply listing all the chapter titles would be of low value, but it is worth noting that the book is split into four main parts: Part 1 Autonomous vehicles and trolley problems, Part 2 Ethical issues beyond the trolley problem, Part 3 Perspectives from political philosophy and Part 4 Autonomous vehicle technology in the city.Each of these sections is introduced by one of the editors and offers a succinct signposting of the main points to be covered in that part of the book.The order of reading of the individual chapters should be guided by the reader's own level of expertise and interest in specific topics.This review will include several examples of the works included in the volume in order to give a sense of the style and focus of the material.Given there are 40 authors contributing to 26 chapters, these will be indicative of what readers might expect from the book.The editors wanted to produce a multi-disciplinary, globalized, examination of autonomous vehicles; the range of authors and their disciplinary backgrounds reflect this aspiration.Good to see an approach, reflected in comments from the editors, that notes the value of such thought experiments as the trolley