auto motor und sport congress 2015: do it first, then think? That will not do

That was done by Ralph Alex, the editor-in-chief of a uto motor und sport , obviously joy. A chat with the philosopher Rafael Capurro. Deep in the red armchairs on the stage. But the loose question of whether Capurro wanted to philosophize in an autonomous car - no, he doesn't want that, no place to philosophize - quickly turned into a serious and important conversation about morality and ethics.

Because it had to be answered the difficult question of how an autonomously driving car should decide in the event of a foreseeable and inevitable accident. Should it avoid the crash with the child rather than the collision with the older lady? A dilemma. One thing for the philosopher.

'It may be that the standard settings in Germany and Europe are different from those in Asia,' says the philosopher. And yet the question remains, who is responsible? The manufacturer who programs the standards or the motorist who accepts these standards?

'What would you advise us to do?', Alex asked again. 'The auto industry should set up a think tank. Experts should discuss and solve these questions there.' The entire industry must solve this task. 'It's not a question of brands, but a question of the car.'

Capurro believes that manufacturers have long been developing systems for autonomous driving and testing them on the road without answering the ethical questions nothing at all. 'Do it first, and then think? This is the wrong way to go.'