Self-Driving Cars Won't Save Everyone. In Fact, They'll Kill

Human beings are great at a lot of things

but driving not so much.

In the United States alone over 30,000 people die

every year in car accidents.

That's because drivers are all too human.

They're too distracted, their reflexes are too slow.

(smashing)

A lot of times they are too drunk.

(smashing)

(smashing)

You okay, little buddy?

Can we leave insurance out of this?

Which is why self-driving cars are coming and fast.

They promise to make accidents all but a thing of the past.

But let's pump the breaks self-driving cars

won't save everyone.

In fact sometimes they'll have to make the decision

to harm you the passenger.

Consider this scenario you're riding in your shiny

new self-driving car and suddenly a group of people

spills into the road.

At this point the car has to make a decision.

Either swerve into the wall killing you

or plow through the crowd saving your life

but taking several others.

While surveys show that most people would chose to sacrifice

themselves for the crowd those same people wouldn't

wanna buy a self-driving car that would intentionally

harm them.

Which is silly and irrational.

Of course this scenario would be exceedingly rare.

You are far safer with a machine in control.

Hell, even basic autonomy can cut traffic deaths by 80%.

But as a society we have to start talking about

how robocars will transform not just the logistics

of driving but the very ethics of it.

(moves into funky music)

After all in a way self-driving cars

will be programmed to kill.

So if a self-driving car chooses to injure you

does that make the car maker liable?

And from a PR standpoint how will car maker's

convince the public that self-driving cars will have to

sacrifice a few drivers for the greater good?

No one has answers yet.

Which is fine because these are still early days

but one thing is certain

that self-driving cars are coming, so buckle up.

Let's go buddy.