(I purposely chose the word “law” over “morality”. The law is a codification of our current, local, majority morality, and is a more precise word to frame a discussion around.)
After thinking on it a bit the relation between AI and the law is fairly simple. It’s just that this round of AI got out of the gate so fast society hasn’t had time to put on pants and run after it.
This is most of where we are now. AI generated code or actions hack into other services, spam people, write articles on line, masquerade as humans etc.
The law catches up. The AI is (legally) just another program/script you wrote/employed.
If you, whatever you are, set up the initial system, you are responsible. Whether you are criminally responsible, civilly responsible, acted out of malice or out of negligence is a court matter as it currently is for humans and software.
No doubt there will be attempts to weasel out, but that should only swing the needle between negligence and malice
Cash flush AI companies may lobby our dear leaders to make excepts for “AI”. With a bit of luck and focus we can push back and say that existing laws are enough. AI is just another program people are hitting “enter” and setting off.
(Personal note: Can’t wait for safer streets with machines highly trained in defensive driving and respecting pedestrians and cyclists.)
An accident is the vehicle’s fault. The manufacturer is liable. Everyone in the vehicle is a passenger and the only way they become liable is if they actually did something like open a door or override the self-drive.
Likely that people stop carrying car insurance, though personal liability will still exist, same as if you were in an accident not involving driving a vehicle.
This puts the incentive on vehicle manufacturers to get things right, though it also means more surveillance as occupants might now be recorded if vehicle manufacturers claim they need this for fault determination.
If we are sensible we can strike a good privacy balance (data stays on the car/third party data broker, only accessible through court order etc.)
Car insurance providers lobby to force owners to still carry insurance, though market forces will drive down insurance rates as vehicle manufacturers compete on safety and eventually the individual car insurance market disappears or is covered by a manufacturer’s liability.
I think this one will go in the right direction …
This will be in as sad a situation as always. As we have seen accountability for civilian deaths through accidental or purposeful attacks, as well as violations of other aspects of the Geneva convention is largely unenforced. Having AI control weapons will not change this.
There is a greater fear of equipping AI with weapons that is not legal but societal. This should be a separate article but I think, with some luck and lots of focus we can get through this like we seem to have gotten away with not nuking our planet (so far, so far).