AI in Smart Cars: Social Issues

This essay delves into the social and ethical challenges posed by the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in smart cars. It highlights issues such as the inability of AI to handle emergency situations effectively, the increased risk of cyber security breaches, and the moral dilemmas arising from un...Read More

Running head: SOCIAL ISSUES - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SMART CARS
Social Issues - Artificial Intelligence In Smart Cars
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SOCIAL ISSUES - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SMART CARS
A smart car is an automobile that can drive itself. It has all the software and
algorithms installed, to control its speed and direction (Shaikh et al. 2017). The
Artificial Intelligence (AI) system takes help of complex algorithms to make quick
and prompt decisions. One of the main motives behind its development was to
reduce traffic accidents by ruling out human error tendency. This has eminently
helped to solve traffic law issues. Their ability to use fuel efficiently, adds to the
section of advantages (Rathore et al. 2016).
However, several ethical dilemmas regarding the AI driven smart cars, have
been brought to notice lately. This discussion aims at highlighting how artificial
intelligence in smart cars can be socially problematic. A few ethical issues faced by
automated cars are discussed below. Possible solutions to the same are also advised
in due course.
One latest use of artificial intelligence has been found in the manufacturing
of smart cars (Zohdy, Kamalanathsharma and Rakha 2012). Millions of lines of
codes are written to build an AI. The artificial intelligence records every detail from
the car’s movement to the happenings in the nearest vicinity. It uses multiple
sensors and cameras. It then analyses every such aspects and take quick and prompt
decisions. The microprocessor guides the car according to the codes written into it.
A robot car might have solved a few major traffic issues. They are also fuel-

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SOCIAL ISSUES - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SMART CARS
efficient. However, they are not completely dependable in regards to tackling social
dilemmas.

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SOCIAL ISSUES - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SMART CARS
It is designed to take act independently and take quick decisions regarding its
speed and mobility (Shaikh et al. 2017). Supposedly, it tracks a small tree branch
ahead, on a highway. Human drivers would have driven past the branch and avoided
the formation of a traffic blockage. The smart car would however not cross the
double-yellow line, as it dutifully follows the law. It would halt. This would result in
a traffic jam. The human drivers behind, will have to face problems for a silly
reason.
In case of any emergency, a human driver would generally apply some wit
and luck. He or she would require boosting the car a few knots above the speed
limit. This might break the law, but the emergency can be attended without a delay.
On the other hand, a smart car is not designed to do so. It will never opt to break the
law. Therefore, health or economical emergencies will prove to be fatal. The car,
will refuse to drive in auto-mode, if the tire is a little under-inflated or the headlight
is broken, though it being daytime. These kinds of situation might create
tremendous problems for the owner or the travelling passengers.
Cars going smart, make them heavily relied on the internet. The Gartner
predicts there will be about a quarter of a billion wirelessly connected vehicles by
2020 (Gartner.com, 2017). This maximizes the threat of hacks or security breaches.
Hackers nowadays can breach into any system connected to a network. A smart car
is fairly a new device. It still has its own security vulnerabilities that are yet to be

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SOCIAL ISSUES - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SMART CARS
tested and fixed. If an AI system is hacked, it is open to commit any unreasonable
duty as commanded. From revealing the car’s GPS location to controlling the car
remotely, great risks would lie ahead. The life of the passengers would be threatened
(Ring 2015). A car in the control of cyber criminals can be made to do terrible
things and disrupt traffic safety.
If the car is left in a position where it can save either its passengers or the
pedestrians, a social dilemma is faced. To abide by the law and moral ethics, it will
make every attempt to protect the pedestrians. The life of the passengers will hence
be sacrificed. This issue is still unsolved and requires further research, according to
scientists (Bonnefon, Shariff and Rahwan 2016).
For example, if the car suddenly tracks an approaching trolley with a baby in
it, it will attempt to take a sharp turn. Now what if a tree blocks the turn; what
should it do. This will leave the car in a moral dilemma. If it drives on straight, a
child might get killed. If it attempts a sudden halt in the middle of the road, the
vehicles might crash behind. Whereas, taking the turn to hit a tree, will make it kill
or injure its own passengers. Philosophers term this situation as the Trolley Problem
(Kamm 2015). To take the less harsh decision, the algorithms would generally guide
the car’s AI to sacrifice itself in order to save the child and avoid a traffic collision
behind.

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SOCIAL ISSUES - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SMART CARS
This is a major drawback in the popularity of automated cars. The owners
will never wish to purchase and ride such vehicles (Bonnefon, Shariff and Rahwan
2016).
To resolve all the above mentioned social issues is a tough ask. However,
attempts can be made to prevent or avoid such circumstances up to a certain extent.
Firstly, in case of emergencies, the AI must be programmed to act differently. It
must be fed with real life problem solving techniques. It must be designed to take
actions that would minimize casualty. The lawmakers need to re-script certain
aspects of traffic regulations, keeping in mind the increase in the usage of smart
cars. Manufacturers and AI programmers must put in more efforts to strengthen
smart car security (Atamli and Martin 2014).
From the above discussion, it can thus be concluded that the use of Artificial
Intelligence in smart cars are destined to face too many social issues. From life
threatening dilemmas and cyber security threats to mishandling of emergencies,
many social problems are yet to be solved. The lawmakers and the car
manufacturers must try out every alternative to solve these issues and dilemmas.
Being a fairly new invention, more research is required in this field. Solving these
issues to the farthest possible extent might prove smart cars to become one of the
most useful achievements in the modern era of advancement of technology.

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References
Atamli, A.W. and Martin, A., 2014, September. Threat-based security analysis for
the internet of things. In Secure Internet of Things (SIoT), 2014 International
Workshop on (pp. 35-43). IEEE.
Bonnefon, J.F., Shariff, A. and Rahwan, I., 2016. The social dilemma of
autonomous vehicles. Science, 352(6293), pp.1573-1576.
Gartner.com. (2017). Gartner Says By 2020, a Quarter Billion Connected Vehicles
Will Enable New In-Vehicle Services and Automated Driving Capabilities. [online]
Available at: http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2970017 [Accessed 9 Oct.
2017].
Kamm, F.M., 2015. The trolley problem mysteries. Oxford University Press.
Rathore, M.M., Ahmad, A., Paul, A. and Rho, S., 2016. Urban planning and
building smart cities based on the internet of things using big data analytics.
Computer Networks, 101, pp.63-80.
Ring, T., 2015. Connected cars–the next targe tfor hackers. Network Security,
2015(11), pp.11-16.
Shaikh, A., Jadhav, P., Kulkarni, R. and Bhosale, S., 2017. Semi Autonomous Smart
Car. 4(4)

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SOCIAL ISSUES - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SMART CARS
Zohdy, I.H., Kamalanathsharma, R.K. and Rakha, H., 2012, September. Intersection
management for autonomous vehicles using iCACC. In Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITSC), 2012 15th International IEEE Conference on (pp. 1109-1114).
IEEE.