Ethical Issues in Autonomous Vehicle Programming- An Indian Perspective

This research paper analysis the ethical problems in programming an autonomous vehicle(AV) and suggests some guiding principles to be followed under Indian perspective. Unavoidable collision situations create moral dilemmas requiring consideration of the most acceptable and moral action of the vehicle. Many researchers proposed possible solutions for these dilemmas faced by the programmers in this domain. Each country have their own ethical principles and India is quit different in dealing with this problem. The moral values of each country and region differs and programming an autonomous vehicle also should follow the accepted ethical values of that country. For the acceptance of the AVs by public, a clear understanding of the cultural and ethical values must be the guiding principle in programming. Data security and privacy emerge as another key ethical considerations, requiring the need for added cyber security measures. The Indian traffic is one of the unique combination of many road users like animal driven carts, two wheeler, trucks, buses cars and multi axle vehicles along with pedestrians. Hence AV programming also requires an unique approach with combination of traffic rules, Indian ethical values, traffic climate and data security. The purpose of this research work is to advocate for transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement as fundamental principles for ensuring the ethical use of these technologies. The suggestion from this work gives valuable insight for policymakers, industry practitioners, and researchers in solving the complex ethical issues of autonomous vehicle technologies and will contribute in shaping the principles for the AVs programming in India.