The Trolley Problem is used to illustrate these ethical challenges, presenting scenarios where a decision must be made between two undesirable outcomes, such as diverting a trolley to kill one person instead of five. The article explores variations of the Trolley Problem, including the Fat Man scenario, where the direct action of pushing a person to their death to save others is generally deemed less acceptable than indirectly causing harm by flipping a switch. This distinction aligns with the DDE, suggesting that people perceive indirect actions as more morally permissible than direct ones. The discussion underscores the ongoing debate about the DDE's validity and its implications for AI ethics, particularly in designing autonomous systems that may face similar moral dilemmas.
Key takeaways:
- The Doctrine of Double Effect (DDE) is a longstanding ethical principle that examines the moral implications of actions that have both good and bad effects, particularly relevant in AI ethics and self-driving cars.
- The DDE involves four key precepts: the act must be morally good or indifferent, the bad effect must not be intended, the good effect must arise directly from the action, and the good effect must outweigh the bad effect.
- The Trolley Problem is a thought experiment often used to illustrate ethical dilemmas, where a decision must be made between two unfavorable outcomes, and it is closely related to the DDE.
- The DDE and Trolley Problem highlight the complexity of ethical decision-making in AI, emphasizing the importance of understanding indirect versus direct actions and the role of intentions in moral judgments.