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Comment by pricecomstock | Hacker News Reader

Sort of. The issue is that it's not just "waiting for a turn", it's often "start changing lanes into a small gap because you know the human drivers will make space and let you in". In which case, what you're saying is "drive more aggressively if there's a large time penalty for not doing so", which is at least a mildly uncomfortable criteria to put into a computer algorithm

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>a mildly uncomfortable criteria to put into a computer algorithm

I suspect this is going to be a fundamental issue with AI. Far from some idealized 3 laws of robotics, AIs will need to behave like humans to fit in our society. And that will force us to confront the ways in which we don't follow our own rules - indeed can't follow our own rules, the rules being impractical but a convenient fiction to allow us feel better about ourselves.

This is already happening, with driverless cars getting rear ended because they come to a complete stop at stop signs.

I would call this one pretty straightforward; a driver rear ending someone is almost always liable.

The driverless car is definitely not liable, but the reason it's getting hit is because it's violating an expectation that people will bend the rules in this circumstance

I just don't think this is a great example because lots of people do come to a complete stop at stop signs, as they should.

I think it is the same criteria you apply as a human. If you need to get into a lane and make a turn, you will slow down, block your lane and inch in till someone lets you in.

I do think there has to be an aggressiveness level in making maneuvers for an autonomous car. It doesn't mean its unsafe, it just means it could be MORE safe if the time penalty isn't big (a decision that regular drivers have a hard time evaluating since we don't measure our own maneuvers' safety accurately)

A flashing sign that says 'SELF-DRIVING CAR' will help. OTOH, other drivers might see deep pockets for a lawsuit.

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