The machines are coming!

Madam,

1early 1.2 million people die in motor vehicle accidents each year. There¶s an additional million people who are either injured or disabled in road crashes. The data shows that the most affected demographic is young adults. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among young people aged between 1 and 2 worldwide.

INJURIES

The :orld health organisation (:+2) estimates that road traffic injuries will become the fifth leading cause of death by 2 . 5oad accidents already cost us many millions annually and this is set to be a problem that defines the 21st century - well, at least one of them. 0ega technology companies alongside giant car manufacturers are offering a solution to this problem by eliminating the need for human participation on our roads. These companies, and others like them, have proposed to hand over chauffeuring responsibilities to the machines.

This is unheard of. Taking advantage of sophisticated algorithms, machine learning systems, cameras, actuators, sensors and powerful processors, the autonomous car is as real as 1ipsey +ussle. $lthough the term µautonomous¶ is used to describe self-driving vehicles, µautomated¶ may be more suitable to settle any ambiguity that may arise as to the extent of the capability of these cars.

)or instance, µautonomous¶ may lead one to infer that when you instruct the vehicle µdrive me to work¶, the car may decide to take you to the beach instead - I mean, I¶m not complaining about going to the beach ± an µautomated¶ car, however, would follow orders and then drive itself. I will not dwell too much on that, what is more interesting is how the car will behave in morally ambiguous situations./et me paint a gloomy picture. 6ay you¶re on your expensive, state-of-the-art automated vehicle returning home after a historic night with the boys. $s you¶re struggling to remain conscious in the backseat from excessive consumption of alcohol, your trip is interrupted by two children suddenly appearing on the road at the last minute. :hat happens next" The car may engage its brakes and hit one or both of the children, or swerve off the cliff and kill your inebriated self, even though you paid handsomely for it. The car needs to answer two questions (1) :hat is valuable" (2) :hat is the right action given what is valuable" :e are asking cars to become philosophers.

COMMUNISM

In the past century, the defining problem was economic i.e. capitalism or communism" $t least that is true for the :est. 2ur biggest problem here in $frica was way more serious. I refer to colonialism, and we seem to have only solved the problem on paper. In practice, I am yet to be convinced. &apitalism triumphed and dismantled communism and we¶re now down to a few communist nations in the whole world. The 21st century has different questions to answer which can be summed up with the moviesque tag line, µThe 0achines are &oming¶

:hether there is cause for concern regarding the ever increasing adoption of technology to cure our human problems is still up for debate but allow me to end with the words of

Mangaliso