"Automation extends far beyond the battlefield, sometimes with profound implications. Peter Asaro, a philosopher who studies artificial intelligence, says questions need to be asked about how and when humans transfer control to machines in their every day lives.
Asaro points to self-driving cars as a perfect example of that tension. “Presumably, the car is driving itself so the person behind the wheel can devote attention to something else: email, entertainment, a nap, etc. So how and when should the car inform the person that they are in a critical situation and the car cannot figure out on its own what to do?” he asks. “Should it wake them up from a nap just before an accident, or just try to do its best? And what if someone just woke up from a nap and sees a truck in the oncoming lane that poses no threat but the person’s natural reaction is to swerve violently away? Should the car allow them to over-ride the automatic control when that poses a danger?”"