Philosophical Considerations: The Ghost in the Machine

• Author: Nathan Baker
• Pages: 153-167

153

chapter 7

PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE

Autonomous vehicles will be driven largely by the algorithms programmed

into them. This means that the vehicle can access its decision-making

capabilities from the start. These capabilities may be upgraded or pro-

grammed to learn from experience, but the capability to learn allows

for testing through simulation in a manner that has more variables than

testing human experience on a person-by-person basis. Since not every

conceivable situation can be programmed for, and because driving can

involve inconceivable situations, programs must be developed to provide

for a decision to be made even when it has not been specif‌ically considered

and a response predetermined by programmers.

A. WHAT IS AN ALGORITHM?

An algorithm is a set of rules to be followed in problem solving. The algo-

rithm determines the method with which an action is to be considered.

Algorithms can vary in complexity, from simple—“If an object is detected

in the vehicle’s path, then stop the vehicle”—to vastly complex, with num-

erous variables. Consider the number of steps and assessments a person

must undertake to answer a question such as “How does the vehicle

determine which item to strike if multiple objects enter the roadway and