We’ve always been curious about our limits.
I mean, don’t you want to know the limits of technology? Just how far medicine science has gone? How close artificial intelligence is to the brain of a human?
A couple of days ago, our government has announced that residents of three new towns will be the first in Singapore to ride driverless vehicles for their first and last mile commutes, starting from 2022.
Advertisements
As exciting as this may sound to some, I thought there might be a cause for concern.
No, not exactly.
To be fair, I’m sure rigorous tests would be carried out to ensure this (what we saw in the video) would not happen.
What I’m concerned about, rather, is the trolley dilemma (problem).
For the uninitiated, the trolley dilemma is as illustrated in the image below.
Imagine you’re the man pulling the lever. Would you pull the lever in order to save the person and send the train in the direction of the other 5?
Or would you leave the lever alone, allowing the train to kill just one man?
No matter what your answer is, I don’t believe there is a perfect answer to this question.
Advertisements
Now, imagine the one pulling the lever is not a human, but an A.I.
I suppose you now know what I’m getting at.
Yes, will a self-driving vehicle be able to make a decision when presented with similar situations? What’s the priority of the vehicle? The preservation of the passengers’ lives or that of the pedestrians’?
To be clear, I’m not trying to be a naysayer. Trust me when I say I’m actually excited about driverless buses.
However, are we prepared to accept the decisions of an A.I.? That its decisions are optimal?
Advertisements
That aside, how will other drivers (humans) react to the decisions of an A.I.?
From what I see here,
It seems like driverless cars will prioritize the safety of the pedestrians (or Jaywalkers, a.k.a. inbred humans)
Will the vehicles simply wait for all the jaywalkers to cross before moving forward?
Knowing how some Singaporeans are complete jerks when it comes to matters on the road, I really can’t imagine how bad the traffic is going to get during rush hour (When people rush across the road like a horde of zombies).
Advertisements
Ultimately, I still think the problem lies with humans. Technical difficulties aside, I strongly believe that computers are right most of the time.
Computer algorithms may be perfect, but humans aren’t.
As much as I would love to see driverless vehicles on the road, I can already see the problems some idiots might cause (Due to general human stupidity or something).
I sincerely hope that the quality of humans would’ve improved by then.
Since you’re here, why not watch a video about an NTU student who went all out to impress his crush, only to end up in…tragedy? Here, watch it and do remember to share it (and also subscribe to Goody Feed YouTube channel)!
Advertisements
This article was first published on goodyfeed.com
Read Also
- Lai Liao: Driverless Buses to Be in Punggol, Tengah & Jurong Innovation District in 2022
- Someone Made a Map That Provides Alternative Travel Routes with Buses During MRT Shutdown
- Wait, Did China Just Successfully Do a Head Transplant?
Do you love writing? Do you want a platform to showcase your works? Goody Feed is looking for part-time writers to join the team! Click here to find out more!
Featured image: straitstimes.com
These five GRCs could see the tightest battle in GE2025; here’s why:
Read Also:
- Trump Exempts Electronics from 125% China Tariffs, Sparing Smartphones and Computers
- Elderly Charity Shop Owner Baffled by Over 50 Boxes of Mystery Donation Blocking Store Entrance
- DNA from Two Men Discovered on Murdered Singaporean Woman’s Clothing as Court Orders Comparison with Main Suspect
- Former Police Officer Convicted in Fatal Maid Abuse Case That Left Victim Weighing Just 24kg
- Teen Arrested in Johor for Selling AI-Generated Fake Nudes of School Peers for RM2 Each
