Using the Double Transparency of Autonomous Vehicles to Increase Fairness and Social Welfare

Fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) create a double transparency regarding human driving decisions. Opaque decision rules in the human mind have become transparent in AVs, and in turn can be made transparent to third parties. This double transparency is creating an unprecedented opportunity to regulate driving decision rules to eliminate unreasonable selfishness and increase fairness and social welfare. In this experimental ethics study, we examine humans’ willingness to sacrifice other people’s lives to protect their own in five different accident scenarios. Our results reveal the need to regulate rules governing AV driving decisions; yet, a full transparency policy for decision algorithms may not necessarily lead to desired social effects. Thus, regulations should be tailored to different scenarios