What do you think about "autos"? (Self-driving cars)

[Metsfanmax]

What's the ethics to this technology? Does the computer get to play God when it comes to vehicle accident? Each car has a male driver ages 40. One smokes and the other doesn't. If both cars get into accident but the odds of the smoker are calculated at a 1% chance more of surviving ,but is more costly on medical bills in the future due to his smoking, does the car kill the smoker due to bus burden on society for smoking of the other driver yet he's statitically 1% less of survival? Or if one car has children and the other doesn't. Who decides who dies?

To be sure, this is an important ethical issue. However it is also not a reason not to do it -- statistically you will be much safer, and in fact it's not even clear that the decisions you would make to try and 'save yourself' in an accident situation are even helpful.

I like the idea (especially when leaving the bar). I certainly know they're safer than human operation. However, I'm not too keen on the powerlessness of it.

Does it bother you when you're on a jet aircraft and you are powerless to control it? No, because it's a jet aircraft, and you couldn't possibly help fly it better than the experienced pilots and the software controlling the system. Automobiles should not be any different.

[TA1LGUNN3R]

Times I've used a jet to travel to and from work: 0

There's an expectation that an advanced craft like a plane, used to travel distances which are otherwise too cumbersome too be made by car, will be out of my hands. I suspend my ability to control such a thing. But, there are other people aboard, and regulations in place.

With autonomous cars, which can be remotely controlled by "authorities," how long before someone is locked in their car involuntarily, all in the name of safety or justice? And to go a step further, how long before some tech-clever cop uses such a system for less than honorable means?

-TG

[mrswdk]

What's the ethics to this technology? Does the computer get to play God when it comes to vehicle accident? Each car has a male driver ages 40. One smokes and the other doesn't. If both cars get into accident but the odds of the smoker are calculated at a 1% chance more of surviving ,but is more costly on medical bills in the future due to his smoking, does the car kill the smoker due to bus burden on society for smoking of the other driver yet he's statitically 1% less of survival? Or if one car has children and the other doesn't. Who decides who dies?

To be sure, this is an important ethical issue.

lol. Is it? Has anyone ever seriously proposed that self-driving cars should be equipped with a euthanasia function to eliminate passengers who represent a net financial cost to society?

[mrswdk]

With autonomous cars, which can be remotely controlled by "authorities," how long before someone is locked in their car involuntarily, all in the name of safety or justice? And to go a step further, how long before some tech-clever cop uses such a system for less than honorable means?

And then they'll start killing all the Jews.

[TA1LGUNN3R]

Right, because we're so much more enlightened today, a mere four generations away!

-TG

[Army of GOD]

Times I've used a jet to travel to and from work: 0

There's an expectation that an advanced craft like a plane, used to travel distances which are otherwise too cumbersome too be made by car, will be out of my hands. I suspend my ability to control such a thing. But, there are other people aboard, and regulations in place.

With autonomous cars, which can be remotely controlled by "authorities," how long before someone is locked in their car involuntarily, all in the name of safety or justice? And to go a step further, how long before some tech-clever cop uses such a system for less than honorable means?

-TG

I'm pretty sure this can be done already if people really wanted to put their mind to it

[mrswdk]

Right, because we're so much more enlightened today, a mere four generations away!

-TG

I think you need to start watching different movies.

[TA1LGUNN3R]

Times I've used a jet to travel to and from work: 0

There's an expectation that an advanced craft like a plane, used to travel distances which are otherwise too cumbersome too be made by car, will be out of my hands. I suspend my ability to control such a thing. But, there are other people aboard, and regulations in place.

With autonomous cars, which can be remotely controlled by "authorities," how long before someone is locked in their car involuntarily, all in the name of safety or justice? And to go a step further, how long before some tech-clever cop uses such a system for less than honorable means?

-TG

I'm pretty sure this can be done already if people really wanted to put their mind to it

I drive a 96 s10. How is anyone gonna shut off my car without getting under the hood?

As for newer cars...I don't know. I can't imagine even existing computerized cars having the same degree of remote accessibility as a dedicated autonomous car, except maybe the Teslas, which I heard had an update for such.

-TG

[Army of GOD]

OK, maybe not your car, but John Oliver did a bit last week where some software devs shut off someone's car while he was driving on the freeway


My car has push start capabilities so I assume that can be taken advantage of somehow

[TA1LGUNN3R]

^That is terrifying.

-TG

[Dukasaur]

Times I've used a jet to travel to and from work: 0

There's an expectation that an advanced craft like a plane, used to travel distances which are otherwise too cumbersome too be made by car, will be out of my hands. I suspend my ability to control such a thing. But, there are other people aboard, and regulations in place.

With autonomous cars, which can be remotely controlled by "authorities," how long before someone is locked in their car involuntarily, all in the name of safety or justice? And to go a step further, how long before some tech-clever cop uses such a system for less than honorable means?

-TG

I'm pretty sure this can be done already if people really wanted to put their mind to it

I drive a 96 s10. How is anyone gonna shut off my car without getting under the hood?

Drone strike...

As for newer cars...I don't know. I can't imagine even existing computerized cars having the same degree of remote accessibility as a dedicated autonomous car, except maybe the Teslas, which I heard had an update for such.

Most newer cars have a "remote start" feature. I imagine with the right software it can be exploited to make a "remote unstart" feature.

[2dimes]

OnStar has been able to remotely control and monitor vehicles for several years now. You can even check things and lock or unlock your doors anywhere you have cellular phone service.

https://www.onstar.com/us/en/services/r ... ?source=ct

Says 2010 and newer.

[jonesthecurl]

To quote myself from 2009, when I predicted that the private mtor car will virtually disappear,.

Other elements in my scheme are: GPS. self-parking cars. on-board radar. Leading eventually to self-driving cars. And once the driving is done by the car, the pride of ownership will fall - and when you can call up the vehicle you want when you want, the size you want, for the time you want, few will bother with all the peripheral hassle of owning a car which they don't control anyway.

[tzor]

Warmonger has a point, when a car can be remotely accessed, shut down, or locked, it gives me pause.

But that feature has existed long before self driving cars ...

Big Brother? OnStar Shuts Down Stolen Car During Police Chase

At a certain point, OnStar was given the green light to shut off the car. The vehicle crashed into bushes after the gas pedal became inoperable. The man who stole the car, 20-year-old Andre Hill, was not injured in the crash and is currently in jail on $30,000 bail.

That was four years ago.

[mrswdk]

If you buy a car with a computer in it you might as well just sign a contract saying it's okay for rogue government agents to assassinate you during your morning commute if you manage to accidentally uncover evidence of their corruption. Then again, we've been sliding down that slippery slope ever since we began relying on corporations to provide us with domestic water, so I'm feeling like King Canute over here.

[mrswdk]

DON'T EAT PROCESSED FOOD

[2dimes]

DON'T EAT PROCESSED FOOD

[ADodgeStratus]

[TA1LGUNN3R]

If you buy a car with a computer in it you might as well just sign a contract saying it's okay for rogue government agents to assassinate you during your morning commute if you manage to accidentally uncover evidence of their corruption. Then again, we've been sliding down that slippery slope ever since we began relying on corporations to provide us with domestic water, so I'm feeling like King Canute over here.

You mean the same government agents (police) who regularly step on rights every day, like the 161 unarmed people who were killed by police last year, 28 of which were in police custody? Oh, yeah, I'm the unreasonable one here.

But hue hue, someone who doesn't trust the "authorities" is a crazy, out of touch maroon.

-TG

[TA1LGUNN3R]

Warmonger has a point, when a car can be remotely accessed, shut down, or locked, it gives me pause.

But that feature has existed long before self driving cars ...

Big Brother? OnStar Shuts Down Stolen Car During Police Chase

At a certain point, OnStar was given the green light to shut off the car. The vehicle crashed into bushes after the gas pedal became inoperable. The man who stole the car, 20-year-old Andre Hill, was not injured in the crash and is currently in jail on $30,000 bail.

That was four years ago.

Okay, so that's through OnStar, and how many cars have that? Now if, as some have posited, in 20 years the majority of cars are autonomous, probably requiring some umbrella network to oversee such operations, how will that change things?

-TG

[mrswdk]

If you buy a car with a computer in it you might as well just sign a contract saying it's okay for rogue government agents to assassinate you during your morning commute if you manage to accidentally uncover evidence of their corruption. Then again, we've been sliding down that slippery slope ever since we began relying on corporations to provide us with domestic water, so I'm feeling like King Canute over here.

You mean the same government agents (police) who regularly step on rights every day, like the 161 unarmed people who were killed by police last year, 28 of which were in police custody? Oh, yeah, I'm the unreasonable one here.

But hue hue, someone who doesn't trust the "authorities" is a crazy, out of touch maroon.

-TG

I mean you live in a country where everyone has guns and people shoot the police. It's not surprising that you have jumpy cops shooting people they didn't need to every now and again. But how does that translate into rogue cops hacking people's cars to commit remote assassinations?

[TA1LGUNN3R]

The same way unarmed men get their windpipes crushed while being arrested, or somehow die in handcuffs in the backs of police cruisers. It doesn't have to be rogue cops, it can just be your average cop who flaunts the rules and gets away with it.

If the majority of cars are autonomous, you can bet there will be an expedited process whereby cops can directly shut off cars for stops, in the name of safety. And it's a small step to "Stop resisting!" and "he had cocaine/a gun."

-TG

[WingCmdr Ginkapo]

"he had cocaine/a gun."

If Americans didnt all have cocaine/guns that wouldnt be such an easy lie...

I fail to see what any of this has to do with autonomous cars. The police can stop your car now if they so choose, it just takes a fair bit more force.

[warmonger1981]

I'd be more worried about political activisists hacking a government official car or vise versa. Or maybe a tech savvy ex lover hacking the other lovers vehicle. OnStar is just one of many ways to take control of the car. When smartphone become the keys to the car it will be a lot easier.

[mrswdk]

The same way unarmed men get their windpipes crushed while being arrested, or somehow die in handcuffs in the backs of police cruisers. It doesn't have to be rogue cops, it can just be your average cop who flaunts the rules and gets away with it.

If the majority of cars are autonomous, you can bet there will be an expedited process whereby cops can directly shut off cars for stops, in the name of safety. And it's a small step to "Stop resisting!" and "he had cocaine/a gun."

-TG

If you don't trust your police service to put people in handcuffs without ass raping and then murdering them then self-driving cars is the very least of your worries.