[Keynote Address] Engineering-Ethics against Contemporary Paternalism

Yasuki Motozawa (Shiga University of Medical Science)

Driving support technologies based on artificial intelligence have achieved a great leap in recent years; in Japan, demonstration experiments of level 4 autonomous driving will be launched in the near future. However, a contemporary paternalism may arise if social Implementation will be promoted without social understanding and acceptance. The present paper discusses the engineering-ethics required for the contemporary issues.

Brand-New Technology is Accepted by the Society
-Essence for the Self Determination of a Person-

Masahito Hitosugi (Shiga University of Medical Sciende)

Some safety technologies have been developed and applied practically. When a person determines whether use of the brand-new technology or not, the decision is influenced by the social acceptance of the technology. According to the results of surveys at the medical and engineering fields, I show the importance of the social acceptance of the technology.

Science, Technology, and Society in the Context of Acceptance and Diversity

Norihisa Miki (Keio University)

The ethical standards in science and engineering are influenced by societal acceptance. A good example is the evolving ethics regarding LGBTQ rights. However, amidst significant global societal changes, Japanese society is experiencing a 'Galapagos syndrome' originating from its limited diversity. This impacts not only ethics but also industrial competitiveness. This discussion aims to explore the intricate relationship between science, engineering, societal acceptance, and the role of diversity.

Three Layers of Ethics: Considering Ethics in Autonomous Vehicles

Masao Ito (NIL)

When considering the ethics of mobile objects, including autonomous vehicles, it is necessary to consider at least three layers. In macroscopic ethics, ethics is considered at the layer of culture and social structure. Intermediate ethics considers institutions in society. Microethics considers interactions between individuals. These hierarchical divisions do not involve value judgments. Of course, each layer influences each other, but each layer can be considered independently. The recently published ISO39003 uses a five-level classification but mainly extends from macroscopic ethics to discuss the ethics that safe autonomous vehicles should have. Therefore, in order to determine whether or not it is ethically appropriate, we believe that deeper consideration of other layers is necessary.

Social Acceptance of Autonomous Driving Based on Safety Assurance

Atsushi Baba･Akemi Kanehara･Katsuyoshi Nishii (DENSO)

Social acceptance of autonomous driving is a challenging problem whereas the regulations and international standardizations regarding a safety assurance of the autonomous vehicles are undergoing. This paper investigated the social acceptance of autonomous driving by focusing on realistically foreseen accidents of AVs from the safety assurance points of view.

Promoting Safe Driving Awareness in Elderly Drivers through Mobile App Feedback: An Analysis of On-Road Behavioral Changes

Yuiko Kumagai (Honda Motor)･Mitsuki Kimura (Honda Motor China Technology)･Daisuke Inoue･Ryo Takebayashi (Honda Motor)

To reduce car accidents caused by elderly drivers, we proposed a mobile app providing feedback on their unsafe driving behaviors. We conducted a one-month experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of the app. Nineteen participants joined the experiment, using the app in their daily life. As a result, the frequency of unsafe driving behaviors decreased significantly during the experiment compared to before. This result indicates that using the app can promote review and metacognition on their behaviors, thereby reducing the frequency of unsafe driving behaviors.