Algorithmic Design and the Resolution of Moral Dilemmas in Autonomous Vehicles

Companies like Google, Baidu, Tesla, and Uber are heavily invested in the production and deployment of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). While each company is motivated by its own set of incentives, financial or otherwise, one concern warrants consistent and universal attention: safety. The large-scale deployment of AVs can only be realized insofar as citizens trust that their safety will never be compromised, or at least, less compromised than it would be if humans were driving. There are a number of benefits intimately linked to AVs and their potential widespread implementation. From a reduction in carbon emissions and city-scale footprints to cheaper and more efficient transportation supported by IoT-powered smart-grids that streamline traffic flow and reduce accident rates. AVs cannot only pave the path for sustainable technological and infrastructural growth, but also increase equality of opportunity in vulnerable or impoverished areas.