Ethical Decision Making in Software Development: Self-Driving Cars

This report examines the ethical dimensions of self-driving car technology, focusing on the safety of autonomous vehicles and the ethical practices in software development. It delves into the principles of ethical practice within the information technology and business sectors, highlighting the c...Read More

PRESENTATION AND REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
TITLE: Ethical decision in software development: How safe are self driving car.........................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................2
Describe and discuss the principles of ethical practice as they pertain to the
information technology and business sectors......................................................................2
Identify and discuss the regulatory obligations relating to an IT environment...................3
Demonstrate comprehension of basic problem solving and decision- making skills.....5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
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TITLE: Ethical decision in software development: How safe are self driving car
INTRODUCTION
Self driving is referred as the trans disciplinary area that raised ethical issues and created
misconceptions regarding its feasibility and viability for the longer run. This type of driving is
carried out when the driving is done automatically without the presence of any human and makes
the passengers reach the destination by audio and using the technologies through IoT (Internet of
Things). Ethical practices are those practices that posed as an obstacle in development programs
like software. It also leads to delays or any unregulated operations which has an impact on the
overall workings of companies working towards the invention of such autonomous vehicles. This
report is going to highlight about the safety of using the self driving cars while maintaining the
ethical practices in the software development. It is also focusing on understanding the principles
while using the business management and information technology to gain an upper hand.
MAIN BODY
Describe and discuss the principles of ethical practice as they pertain to the information
technology and business sectors
This driverless cars and its future has become an important topic in gaining knowledge about the
utility of software that ensures safety and protection of humans. This concept has gained
momentum by interferences from several companies such as Google’s parent company Waymo,
Tesla, GM and more to conquer the automation world by storm. However, there are several
incidents that reflected upon its incapacities where the individuals travelling were hurt and in few
cases they died (Head and Alford, 2015). For instance, Uber were test driving and was met with
an accident where the woman was killed and later put questions on its feasibility. This company
along with the National Transportation Safety Board are together initiated an investigation to
find the ethical questions that must be addressed. This would later help in analysing the ethical
standards to be met while using technological advancements while creating such autonomous
vehicles to use.
In regard to the above, it has also been found out that these autonomous driving cars are
beneficial in many cases. The people with any disability or are handicapped are easier to travel.
Moreover, these vehicles help the elderly, women with some dyfunctionalities, small children are
able to reach the destination without any human assistance. Herein, the major concern is
regarding when there is a strong presence of relationship between the concepts of trolley issue
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with the ethical codes of algorithms used in driverless cars. These two key features are
significant in understanding the ethical dilemmas. The accidents that took place due to the lack
of manual touch while driving it on the roads and might face accidents with the unpredictability
of other manual run cars or vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians (Oinas-Kukkonen and Harjumaa,
2018). Therefore, it is easily comprehended that the self driving are not completely safe and
might put the human lives in danger.
Furthermore, the ethical considerations involved in this type of vehicles cannot be
undermined and must be made understandable that infers on the algorithms and designing
aspects. It also highlights the discriminatory remarks regarding the overall usage of such critical
technology to protect the data and information related to the users’. There is also an analysis of
these cars where the time reductions is at higher levels but also led to risks that meet the
technical issues (Özsoy, Kuruyer and Çakıroğlu, 2017). Moreover, it has definitely led to proper
shift of responsibility where no conflicts are recorded and the public are given proper training to
protect themselves in any situational crisis. The focus is on promoting the egalitarian decision
algorithm that assisted in making the entire software development efficient, robust and
integrated. The benefits include wide range of applications that includes about improved air
quality levels, consuming less time while travelling and removing the virtual removal of
accidents.
The problem area is the differences between the trolley issue and the algorithm ethical
aspects where any sort of delays lead towards the end of life. Here the major emphasis is on
catapulting the measurements by the AI led software to make the decisions and reach the
conclusions without any damage (Fleetwood, 2017). However, this is impossible and might
affect the mislead ethical areas in the automotive industry for better adaptability and accessibility
for both clients and owners. The traffic cannot be controlled until it is completely driverless
system while handling the traffic. Moreover, the perspectives in maintaining the entire
contingency traffic plan depends upon the moral principles that led towards making policies or
decisions by manual and is considered normal due to the lack of e literacy.
Identify and discuss the regulatory obligations relating to an IT environment
Laws and legislation has been a pivotal part in the development of autonomous driving
vehicles and should be practiced to test its feasibility, reliability and viability. There is
responsibility for insurance or mitigating the risks to slow down the developmental phases in the
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data analytics. Nevertheless, the focus is on using the set of guidelines in more profound manner
and has led to more customer awareness and data minimisation. It has been found out that
approximately 70 percent of consumers are comfortable in haring the personal information while
using the navigation criteria but on the other hand, this is more approachable when done for the
predictive maintenance (He and et.al., 2017). Acts like European General Data Protection
Regulation (the GDPR), Data Protection Act etc. are useful in making the information
technological environment more comfortable.
In addition to this, the contributions made by the infrastructure providers, automotive and
technology manufacturers and other authorities or customers helped in holding significant
information that is beneficial in making the ways for better navigation. There are also
demonstrations that data security may negatively impact the profitability and prospects of the
business, damage relationships with key stakeholders and partners, and damage its reputation
(Fournier, 2016). It has been highlighted the self driving vehicles where the stakeholders are also
involved help in creating the software development but also paves the technological challenges
that also needs a proper system of using the strategies and other important elements.
In order to make detailed perspectives while making any concrete steps towards the
promotion of such driverless cars, it is significant to understand that the issues must be addressed
to maintain safety and health of the passengers. The issues are that the passengers are unaware
about the rights and responsibilities and led to implementation of a calculated action plan to
make the detecting obstacles. Other ethical challenges include lack of execution of laws and
guidelines regarding the reduction of pollution levels or proper functioning of traffic rules. There
is also need to investigate the prototypes while using the self driving cars on human driven roads
to test its authenticity.
This also helps in making the obligations more wholesome and brought awareness to fill
the gaps while test driving the cars. For e.g. Audi, BMW uses the Nokia’s mapping to deliver an
effortless navigation by using the connected vehicles. However, the technological advancements
are never in sync with the data analytics or weather forecasting. Thus, compliance with the
legislations must be in sync with the ownership of data, intellectual property and personal data
(Trevino and Nelson, 2016).
The entire data must be processed and collected to make the software more integrated
while adjusted to the outer weather conditions and the traffic systems. Henceforth, the IT sector
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must fulfil the gaps and must be in collaboration to remove the risks such as driver distraction,
data usage, allocation for the liability and accountability if any accident takes place. It also helps
in creating smaller units that led to adoption of security features and minimise the chances of
risks that is associated with the cyber attacks.
Demonstrate comprehension of basic problem solving and decision-
making skills
The one of the major issues of programming self driving car is to enhancement in scenario
of road accidents. The key issues that need to be focused on formulate an ethical framework for
sound morale reasoning in terms to self driving car and other autonomous vehicles to program
with risky situation and unavoidable accidents (Gotterbarn, 2017).
The programming of self driving car is ethical issue that given the rapid development of
technical advancement. Currently, self driving car have the sophisticated sensing abilities that
can make differentiate between pedestrians from the other subjects such as lamp cost and other
road signs. In the present scenario, the designing of the cars to make advanced judgements would
be involving of the feature as Artificial intelligence and that is not possible. Henceforth, one of
the typical issues is that self driving car cannot make the control too quickly as it needs the time
to respond the situation (Leuz and Wysocki, 2016). Therefore, Self driving car do not always
have the sufficient time to avoid the collisions with the objects that suddenly change routes.
Therefore, they are sometime colliding with one another.
Henceforth, it can be stated that driverless systems put the machines in the position that
makes the split second decision that could have death implication. Hence, the biggest ethical
challenges that faced by the self driving car designers is to determine that when there is enough
evidence of safe behaviour stimulation and controlled on road testing to introduce the self
driving cars on the road. Additionally, self driving car is more safe than humans as they aid to
achieve design and avoiding accidents and this leads to reduction in damages. Handing control
over the human passengers will not be often good options for the autonomous vehicle.
CONCLUSION
It has been summarised that self driving cars is a blessing and led to developmental stages in
the automation world. Moreover, it has also posed threats to the human’s life by putting them
into danger. There are both advantages and disadvantages of using this technological
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advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the form of driverless cars that brought the ethical
considerations while making software development to give more convenience and ease to
perform tasks. It has also shed light on the existing competition which led to many companies
like Google, Uber, Tesla etc. to try and design such cars to make the individuals’ life more
accessible. Moreover, the ethical decisions are crucial in playing a contributing factor for the
software development for the autonomous vehicles. This described about the regulatory
obligations in the form of acts, laws and legislation that has put a control and making the
companies more responsible while testing and designing the elements of such cars.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The focus must be to promote its manufacturing and developing a more robust framework
where the smart cars are built in a bounding box. This consists of a vehicle detector with having
two longitudes and two latitudes and has the ability to detect the vehicles either in isolated place
or any other location (Black, 2017). This helps in installing a grid to know about the images
captured by the installed cameras to give more clear instructions and also the focus is on using
the vehicles despite the geographical restrictions or any other climatic conditions.
Next step is to make a flawless programming to give realistic based algorithms to protect
from any uncertain issues occurred while driving without any driver. This would also help the
companies and the passengers to know about the automatic slowing down of the distance before
the accidents. Here these cars must be given an artificial intelligence platform to maintain the
safety system of such AVC (Autonomous Vehicle Control).
In addition to these, the insurance companies and the concerned firms which provide
these services must not mis use of the details and information about the people who are accessing
to these services. The information must be incorporated to give a platform of military grade
safety measures for the maintenance of health and safety of the passengers. Henceforth theses
recommendations are only possible when two information technological giant companies
collaborate to make this more sustainable option in reaching more audience and reaping benefits.
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REFERENCES
Trevino, L.K. and Nelson, K.A., 2016. Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it
right. John Wiley & Sons.
Gotterbarn, D., 2017. The use and abuse of computer ethics. In Computer Ethics (pp. 57-62).
Routledge.
He, Q and et.al., 2017. Mapping the managerial areas of Building Information Modeling (BIM)
using scientometric analysis. International Journal of Project Management. 35(4). pp.670-
685.
Oinas-Kukkonen, H. and Harjumaa, M., 2018. Persuasive systems design: key issues, process
model and system features. In Routledge Handbook of Policy Design (pp. 105-123).
Routledge.
Identify and discuss the regulatory obligations relating to an IT environment
Black, J., 2017. Regulation as facilitation: negotiating the genetic revolution. In Genetics and
Gene Therapy (pp. 21-60). Routledge.
Leuz, C. and Wysocki, P.D., 2016. The economics of disclosure and financial reporting
regulation: Evidence and suggestions for future research. Journal of Accounting
Research.54(2). pp.525-622.
Özsoy, G., Kuruyer, H.G. and Çakıroğlu, A., 2017. Evaluation of students’ mathematical
problem solving skills in relation to their reading levels. International Electronic Journal of
Elementary Education.8(1). pp.113-132.
Head, B.W. and Alford, J., 2015. Wicked problems: Implications for public policy and
management. Administration & society. 47(6). pp.711-739.
Ethical decision in software development: How safe are self driving car
Fleetwood, J., 2017. Public health, ethics, and autonomous vehicles. American journal of public
health. 107(4). pp.532-537.
Fournier, T., 2016. Will my next car be a libertarian or a utilitarian?: Who will decide?. IEEE
Technology and Society Magazine. 35(2). pp.40-45.
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