As we discuss in our new, multimedia feature, The Ethical Implications Of Artificial Intelligence, the rise of AI will transform law and the legal profession in many profound ways.
Take self-driving cars, also known as autonomous vehicles, which raise a host of complex questions for tort law. When a self-driving car causes damage or injury, who should be held responsible? Which legal theories, such as negligence, breach of warranty, or strict liability, should apply?
Here is a very simplified question — admittedly imprecise and incomplete, not at the level of a law school exam hypothetical — designed to explore these issues.
A passenger hires a self-driving car, through a service like Uber or Lyft, that is programmed by artificial intelligence, from a company like IBM or Google. Because of bad weather, this autonomous vehicle injures a pedestrian.
As a very general matter, who should bear the losses from this accident, and in what rough percentages?
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