More sophisticated mechanisms for this include using machine learning to continuously assess the risk of an accident and predict the probability of an accident occurring so that action can be taken preemptively to avoid such a situation. The Center for Autonomous Research at Stanford (a name suspiciously chosen for its acronym CARS, it seems) is looking into these ideas for “ethical programming.” Putting in place ethical guidelines for all those involved in the build, implementation, and deployment of driverless cars is another step towards dealing with the ethical dilemmas..For example, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in Germany released ethical guidelines for driverless cars this year..The ministry plans to enforce these guidelines to help ensure driverless cars adhere to certain expectations in behaviors..For example, one guideline prohibits the classification of people based on their personal characteristics such as race and gender so that this does not influence decision-making should an accident occur..Next, transparency in the design of driverless cars and how algorithms come to a decision needs to be looked at..Then, we will work through the ethical dilemmas of driverless cars and other autonomous technology..This includes consumers of these cars, and the general public, having a right to contribute to the algorithms and models that come to a decision..Factors to Consider A child, for example, might have a stronger weight than a full grown adult when it comes to a car deciding who gets first priority in safety and survival..A pregnant woman, for example, might be given priority over a single man..Humans are the ones who will need to decide what kinds of weights are placed on what kinds of people, and research like MIT’s simulations of hypothetical scenarios is one way of letting the public openly engage in the design and development of these vehicles..Where Do We Go From Here?.In conclusion, as data scientists, we hold great responsibility when building models that directly impact people’s lives.. More details