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midici's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5 stars
A short story about ethics and AI. Helen is a machine ethics teacher, of sorts. She works with an AI named Felipe, who runs a military base and smaller machines ('donkeys'). Felipe provides surveillance and also makes decisions for itself. The central problem is that one of Felipe's recent decisions was to take control of a weaponized drone and destroy one of their own bases.
The trolley problem is a sort of ethical dilemma. There is a trolley running down its track. If it continues as it is, it will hit several people on the track. If you push a lever the trolley will switch to a different track where it will only hit one person. Should you push the lever? In this case the trolley is the drone strike ordered on a terrorist stronghold, one that will almost certainly kill civilians and children as well; and 'pushing the lever' means taking control of the drone to kill the 5 people on the base instead. Should the AI have pushed the lever? Felipe thinks yes. Helen thinks everyone is in over their head.
This story is available on Tor.com: https://www.tor.com/2018/10/17/ai-and-the-trolley-problem-pat-cadigan/
A short story about ethics and AI. Helen is a machine ethics teacher, of sorts. She works with an AI named Felipe, who runs a military base and smaller machines ('donkeys'). Felipe provides surveillance and also makes decisions for itself. The central problem is that one of Felipe's recent decisions was to take control of a weaponized drone and destroy one of their own bases.
The trolley problem is a sort of ethical dilemma. There is a trolley running down its track. If it continues as it is, it will hit several people on the track. If you push a lever the trolley will switch to a different track where it will only hit one person. Should you push the lever? In this case the trolley is the drone strike ordered on a terrorist stronghold, one that will almost certainly kill civilians and children as well; and 'pushing the lever' means taking control of the drone to kill the 5 people on the base instead. Should the AI have pushed the lever? Felipe thinks yes. Helen thinks everyone is in over their head.
This story is available on Tor.com: https://www.tor.com/2018/10/17/ai-and-the-trolley-problem-pat-cadigan/
inthebelljar's review against another edition
2.0
I really really really wanted to like this story because I absolutely love AIs, and I love questions of morality, and I love ideas about AIs and morality even more. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel like this short story brought anything new to the table. I don't expect or even want answers to questions of ethics by any means, but bringing up the moral complication of killing and causing the death of innocent people 'for the greater good' type deal and simply ending on, "It's complicated, let's discuss it more" just felt...lacking to me. I think I felt like there were some good ideas that just remained ideas without much development or anything new to say about them. I mean. Yes, war is complicated and sometimes hearing morals reflected back to us through our own creations can change our perspectives, and humans truly are the real problem...but I felt like going, "And?" at the end.
Also maybe it's just me, but the kind-of-sort-of subplot of her friend being bipolar and off her medication just seemed...in poor taste. As someone on medication for other mental illnesses and with friends who live with bipolar disorder, I don't feel like it was handled well at all. The main character was, of course, concerned and questioned the ethics of the situation herself and her role in it, but mostly it seemed like it was played for...laughs? "Haha, look at the unmedicated woman do silly things"? Even witnessing a friend go through a manic episode without their medication is not something to laugh at, it is something that can be very upsetting and scary and concerning. And, honestly, even if I didn't have those complaints, I'm still not 100% sure what the purpose of including that subplot in the story was.
Loved the idea of a nonhumanoid robotic construct though and I loved when the AI used the horse construct to wave back. Nice.
Also maybe it's just me, but the kind-of-sort-of subplot of her friend being bipolar and off her medication just seemed...in poor taste. As someone on medication for other mental illnesses and with friends who live with bipolar disorder, I don't feel like it was handled well at all. The main character was, of course, concerned and questioned the ethics of the situation herself and her role in it, but mostly it seemed like it was played for...laughs? "Haha, look at the unmedicated woman do silly things"? Even witnessing a friend go through a manic episode without their medication is not something to laugh at, it is something that can be very upsetting and scary and concerning. And, honestly, even if I didn't have those complaints, I'm still not 100% sure what the purpose of including that subplot in the story was.
Loved the idea of a nonhumanoid robotic construct though and I loved when the AI used the horse construct to wave back. Nice.
zoes_human's review
3.0
A well written and entertaining story, but I found nothing about it to be particularly unique or original.
bookaneer's review against another edition
1.0
Meh. I'd rather rewatch The Good Place's take on this.
vroodles's review
3.0
Free on Tor's website. The plot seemed to skip ahead at random times, enhancing the feeling that this was a sketch or an outline of a more fully-developed story. Character are setups don't quiiiite pay off, and the plot doesn't have the "twist" that typically draws me in to short stories.
cathepsut's review
3.0
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to perceive.“
Another AI story. How to out-logic an AI, ethics, emotions, how to apply them, the needs of the many over the needs of a few.
The story had a strange plot hole in the middle, making me check if I had accidentally scrolled past a paragraph and missed some info.
Can be read for free here: https://www.tor.com/2018/10/17/ai-and-the-trolley-problem-pat-cadigan
Another AI story. How to out-logic an AI, ethics, emotions, how to apply them, the needs of the many over the needs of a few.
The story had a strange plot hole in the middle, making me check if I had accidentally scrolled past a paragraph and missed some info.
Can be read for free here: https://www.tor.com/2018/10/17/ai-and-the-trolley-problem-pat-cadigan
kitsana_d's review
4.0
I rather liked this one. Maybe it's all The Good Place I've been watching, but the idea of having to teach ethics to machinery is becoming more fascinating.
carol26388's review
3.0
Quick, fun and to no one's surprise, humans are the problem.
https://www.tor.com/2018/10/17/ai-and-the-trolley-problem-pat-cadigan/
https://www.tor.com/2018/10/17/ai-and-the-trolley-problem-pat-cadigan/