Ethical Considerations and Autonomous Vehicles

Why and how ethics matters for the implementation of autonomous driving in Germany and beyond

Autonomous driving technology has developed rapidly over the last few years. The transition from trial operation to regular application is imminent. Among other things, Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays an important role in autonomous driving, resulting in ethical and legal concerns regarding its impact on road traffic. However, there are still no conclusive answers to the ethical questions regarding the deployment of this technology. Risk considerations and ethical impact assessments are an important precondition for autonomous vehicle technology development and a successful market launch. Taking ethics into account will enhance safety, usability and market acceptance of autonomous vehicles, both now and in the future.

This white paper, which was published together with experts from the Technical University of Munich, focuses on the ethical questions arising from the increased implementation of AI applications in future mobility solutions, such as connected and autonomous driving technology.

Why download the white paper?

• Get an overview of the evolution of connected and autonomous vehicles
• Learn more about the legal and normative issues in and the laws and standards on autonomous driving
• Find out more about the ethical issues of autonomous driving
• Read more about the pre- and post-marketing requirements and the quantitative risk assessment and risk acceptance of autonomous driving