Driverless Trucks in Australia: An Ethical Analysis of Job Losses

This essay delves into the ethical considerations surrounding the introduction of driverless trucks in Australia, primarily focusing on the potential displacement of truck drivers. It employs four key ethical theories – Utilitarianism, Deontology, Virtue Ethics, and Contract Theory – to analyze t...Read More

RUNNING HEAD: Topic in IT Ethics
Topic in IT Ethics

Topic in IT Ethics 1
The jobs killer is coming: How driverless trucks could change Australia
Introduction
The below mentioned case analysis discusses about the recent ethical issue on the driverless
trucks that are running on Australian roads. The essay explains the ethical issue related to the
case under which the driverless trucks are identified as job killers. Information given in the news
article describes different aspects of technological acceptance in the environment. It also
explains different theories related to the news article that states different judgment on this case
and its impact on people (Reynolds, 2018). The ethical theories will help an individual in judging
the case, evaluating its impact and analyzing that whether it is good for people or not. Further,
the four approaches are discussed below:
Utilitarianism Perspective
The ethical theory of utilitarianism states that while judging a case that is directly or indirectly
related to people, there must be utility in the given act. The utilitarianism theory suggested that
the act initiated in the environment should provide happiness to people more than suffering in the
environment. According to this theory, people should implement decisions that drive better
utility for the whole society and reduce the suffering caused to them. The theory also suggests
that even one needs to break rules in order to attain happiness for people in the society, they
should do that. This act will also be regarded as ethical as it reduces the sufferings of people
present in the society. Further, relating the utilitarianism to the news article, it should be noted
that this act of creating artificial robots is although a new and hi-tech advancement in the
technology that is uplifting the society. This technology will provide better level of satisfaction
to the people worldwide (Kagan, 2018).
However, apart from providing satisfaction, the technological advancement also increases
dissatisfaction among people in the society. The artificial robots are deleting the jobs of human
drivers. As robots will neither take breaks nor eat or sleep, thus companies will gain efficiency
by using this technology. Resulting to which, this process will eventually eliminate the work of
human drivers by making them unemployed. Thus, it should be noted that not only drivers will
lose their jobs but economy of Australia will also subsequently reduce. So, according to this
theory, the countries should adopt these effective strategies that help the companies to adopt

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technological advancement and keep the drivers employed in the business as well. The
technology does not increase the utility of people infact it decreases. Thus, according to this
theory, the government should acts that do not make any person steal the job from drivers by any
means (Pym, 2017).
Deontology Perspective
The theory of deontology states that a person present in the society should only focus on the
rightness and wrongness of an event. There are moral and ethical principles present in the society
that must be followed be people in order to maintain an ethical balance in the society. The
deontology theory of ethics in order to implement a decision, the person should follow the rules
and guidelines defined for it. This theory does not looks at the outcomes of decisions
implemented but it is concerned with the process of following the rules. A person initiating an
ethical activity according to this theory should not change their decision on the basis of the
circumstance of event. Relating it to the given news article, it should be noted that in a
workplace, both the employer and employee have some moral as well as legal obligation against
each other which they should fulfill (Vaughn, 2015).
Similarly, the companies present in the environment are aiming to exchange the jobs to drivers
with the robots making them unemployed. This act is against the rule of law. The activity of
replacing the work done by drivers with artificial humans is not right and is unethical as well.
According to this theory, the employer has the responsibility to take care of the interest of
employees and do not initiate any activity that breach their rights. Like, the PM of Australia said
that this act is stealing jobs from our people that are unethical (Lozano, Carpenter, & Huisingh,
2015).
Virtue Perspective
The theory of virtue states that while implementing a decision for any circumstances, it must be
motivated for the thinking capabilities, mindset and habits etc. skills of the victim. In the given
case, according to the theory of the victims of use of technology in the environment are truck
drivers whereas the wrongdoers are the billionaires present in the industry worldwide
(Samuelsson, & Lindström, 2017).

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Thus, the decision should be influenced by the thinking and mindset of both the parties. Under
the first circumstance in which the billionaires uses the technology to bring success in the
industry by carrying goods at breakneck speed for decades; this act will cut costs efficiently.
Whereas in the second circumstance under which the victims have to lose their jobs with the
initiation with this act (Konow, 2016). This will affect their future and livelihood along with
decreasing sales for the hotels, coffee shops, transport managers etc. Thus, it should be noted that
each and every person has their own virtue according to which every person should act in the
society. According to this theory, the government of the country should not look at the act but
they should focus on the intentions of the people initiating it. The company should also aim to
use such technology in their business to become efficient but it should also provide adequate
compensatory benefit to drivers in the society (Frynas, & Stephens, 2015).
Contract Perspective
The societies and communities have their rules and guidelines to be implemented accordingly.
Just like the rules and regulations created for the people present in the society by the dignitaries,
every person have their individual responsibility for the society as well. These rights are in the
form of contract agreement with others for the benefit of the whole society. The contract theory
of ethics state that the individual should practice their rights and protect the rules as well. No
association present in the environment so attempt to break any kind of rule that distress a large
section of the society (Winkler, & Duminy, 2016). Companies like Uber are aiming to steal the
job of truck drivers by using innovative technologies in their business process. They are trying to
harass the employment standards by work with their permanent employees on contract basis.
This contract takes all the rights from the drivers that they should receive like sick leave,
maternity leave, annual leave, minimum wages etc. Thus, the company should stop using this
practice and understand their rights and responsibilities for the society and work accordingly.
The contract theory treats all people equally in the society (Crisp, 2015).
Conclusion
Thus, in the limelight of above mentioned events, it should be noted that the essay explains four
theories of ethics namely utilitarianism, deontology, virtue and contract. The theories are
explained on the given case of artificial technology eliminating the jobs of truck drivers. The

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theories help the people to initiate a decision that is ethically and morally right for all people
present in the society. The theories help the people to consider different aspects related to the
satisfaction of people present in the society. Thus, lastly it should be concluded that every person
has their rights for the community on all whole. They should not initiate any act that breach the
rights of any person in the society. The decision taken by people should ethical increase the
interest of people in the society.

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References
Crisp, R. (2015). A Third Method of Ethics?. Philosophy and Phenomenological
Research, 90(2), 257-273.
Frynas, J. G., & Stephens, S. (2015). Political corporate social responsibility: Reviewing theories
and setting new agendas. International Journal of Management Reviews, 17(4), 483-509.
Kagan, S. (2018). Normative ethics. UK: Routledge.
Konow, J. (2016). Does Studying Ethics Affect Moral Views? An Application to Distributive
Justice.
Lozano, R., Carpenter, A., & Huisingh, D. (2015). A review of ‘theories of the firm’and their
contributions to Corporate Sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 430-442.
Pym, A. (2017). Exploring translation theories. UK: Routledge.
Reynolds, E., (2018). The jobs killer is coming: How driverless trucks could change Australia.
Retrieved from < http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/travel/the-jobs-killer-is-
coming-how-driverless-trucks-could-change-australia/news-story/
4f5b8a42b0452703d62e00f3e7644d7b >
Samuelsson, L., & Lindström, N. (2017). Teaching Ethics to Non-Philosophy Students: A
Methods-Based Approach. In 19th Annual International Conference on Education,
Athens, Greece (pp. 1-17). Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER).
Vaughn, L. (2015). Doing ethics: Moral reasoning and contemporary issues. WW Norton &
Company.
Winkler, T., & Duminy, J. (2016). Planning to change the world? Questioning the normative
ethics of planning theories. Planning Theory, 15(2), 111-129.