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A review by midici
AI and the Trolley Problem by Pat Cadigan
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/