Learn in the textbookRisks and Social Issues of AI
DefinitionThe trolley problem (トロッコ問題) is a thought experiment in ethics that asks, when someone will die whichever way you choose, whether it is right to sacrifice a few to save many.
ExplanationIn the best-known setup, switching a runaway trolley's track kills 1 person, while leaving it kills 5. It has become an issue in AI design, because how a self-driving car should act in an unavoidable accident has to be decided in advance. There is no single right answer, and debate continues over how to build ethical judgment into AI.
AnalogyIt is like having to decide in advance who gets a place when a lifeboat can carry only so many people.