(NaturalNews) Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are no longer mere creatures of science fiction. Tech companies are investing billions of dollars to make AVs a reality. Although self-driving cars are a ways down the road, their impending arrival provokes a host of moral dilemmas and ethical concerns.

Among these ethical considerations, is the question of which public infrastructures and public safety officers would be allowed to override AVs. For example, controls could be put into place that leave lanes open for emergency vehicles, like ambulances and fire trucks.

Stricter controls could be put into place to address crime. High speed car chases would come to a screeching halt. Drivers who refuse to pull over could be forced over through outside controls. Police could prevent terrorist attacks from unfolding by overriding certain vehicles harboring a potential culprit at the wheel.

These functions would have to be installed during the manufacturing process. AVs would have to be built with the ability to respond to commands in real time, which would require a communication channel and requisite software to take over the car's internal logic, reports Government Slaves.
 

A hiccup in the pickup

In addition, authentication and encryption standards would be needed to restrict which people would be allowed to override the system. Furthermore, rules would have to be created that limit the number of non-autonomous vehicles, since criminals could use them to ensure that their cars could not be overridden by an external command.

It wouldn't be just law enforcement that would be capable of overriding AVs, however. All start up technologies have hiccups, and there is considerable debate about whether such overriding systems could be made hack proof. Even software used for years is susceptible to bugs. Security is a process that takes time. It involves identifying bugs before antagonists seize and take advantage of them. By taking control of the wheel and accelerator, terrorists could turn any AV on the road into their very own kamikaze pilot.