I just (half) heard briefly on the news that in the event of an accident involving an 'autonomous car' no blame would be attached to the 'driver', but they would go after the software company. Not sure what the full implications of that are. Maybe I'll ask ChatGPT?
We heard during Covid 19 that the drug companies that made the 'vaccine' would be indemnified against legal action . That's a puzzle as Astrazenica are currently in court defending an action against the consequences of the use of their product.
I was going to say best be a lawyer, but they will now be replaced by AI - or so we are told - perhaps best we all just stay at home, and let the computers fight it out between themselves.
PS Tried Chat GPT but they are too busy to deal with me at the moment.
PS Later that same evening. I get connected. As is becoming normal, plenty to think about - most of which had not occurred to me. The News item now looks simplistic, to say the least. I guess this must be resolved before such vehicles are allowd freely on the roads.
Question- If an autonomous car is involved in a collision Where does the responsibilty lie - with the person in the vehicle, or the software?
Reply from ChatGPT
Determining responsibility in the event of a collision involving an autonomous car can be complex and depends on various factors, including the specific circumstances of the incident, the capabilities of the autonomous system, and relevant laws and regulations.
In general, responsibility could be attributed to:
Human Driver: If the autonomous car allows for human intervention or requires a human driver to take control in certain situations, the responsibility may lie with the person inside the vehicle if they were supposed to be in control at the time of the collision but failed to take over.
Software/Manufacturer: If the collision was a result of a failure in the autonomous system, such as a sensor malfunction, software bug, or a failure to respond appropriately to the environment, the responsibility might lie with the software developers or the manufacturer of the autonomous vehicle.
Regulatory and Legal Framework: The responsibility might also be determined by the legal and regulatory framework in place. Laws and regulations regarding autonomous vehicles vary by jurisdiction, and some places may have specific guidelines for determining liability.
Other Third Parties: In some cases, responsibility could be attributed to other parties, such as the entity responsible for maintaining the road infrastructure or other drivers on the road who may have acted negligently.
It's important to note that these scenarios are not mutually exclusive, and responsibility might be shared among multiple parties. The legal and ethical aspects of autonomous vehicle accidents are still evolving as technology advances and regulations catch up. As the technology matures, legal frameworks will likely become more defined to address these issues.