ACCG8022 Information Systems in Business Ethical issues relating to autonomous vehicles

Writing a business report analysing an issue or problem and providing a recommendation/solution or conclusion demonstrates communication skills as well as critical, analytical and integrative thinking. Being able to communicate clearly in writing and reflect on what you have learned is a skill that is valuable for employers and your future. A current trend is autonomous vehicles including the regulatory environment and ethical considerations. The aim of this assessment task is to write a business report that investigates and analyses the issues relating to the ethical issues relating to autonomous vehicles from a business perspective by reading and analysing relevant scholarly articles, using contemporary examples and providing a personal reflection.

 Instructions

 1. Read the article (available via the library): Holstein, T. and Dodig-Crnkovic, G., 2018, May. Avoiding the intrinsic unfairness of the trolley problem. I have attached this article In Proceedings of the International Workshop on Software Fairness (pp. 32-37). ACM. 

Search for additional articles that will inform the following questions:

 a. Explain the trolley problem in the context of designing software for autonomous vehicles. 

b. What are the benefits and risks of using the trolley problem in designing software?

 c. If the trolley problem is not enough to guide software developers working on autonomous vehicles as the authors suggest, what are alternative ways of considering the ethical issues relating to the design and use of autonomous vehicles? 

d. Discuss why considering the ethical issues around autonomous vehicles is important for businesses to understand?

 2. Reflect on the following statement ‘autonomous vehicles will be ubiquitous’. Some resources can be found here on reflective writing: https://www.port.ac.uk/student-life/help-and-advice/study-skills/writtenassignments/reflective-writing-introduction 

3. Based on your reading and your reflection, what is the future of autonomous vehicles (Conclusion)?

 Report Requirements 1. Write a report that addresses the areas outlined above. The report should not exceed 2,500 words (around 5 pages). This excludes the reference list, title page, table of contents and appendices – if applicable. The report should be in 12-point Font, single spaced in word processing software such as Microsoft Word. The report should have appropriate headings and subheadings (including an introduction and conclusion). 2. This report must use scholarly articles to support any claims you make. You must use the Harvard referencing style (see http://libguides.mq.edu.au/Referencing).