Jobs Killer Is Coming Driverless Australia â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Jobs Killer Is Coming Driverless Australia? Answer: Introduction This news article talks about an advanced technological innovation that would bring a change in Australia. This article is about the introduction and use of trucks that are automated or driverless. This introduction was expected to change the society and create a negative impact on the community of Australia. The release date of this article was May, 2016. This article tried to convey a message that said that this technological invention would devastate and harm the community and society in Australia (NewsComAu, 2017). This invention would lead to the loss of several jobs of the drivers who used to drive trucks in Australia. They will become jobless. Not only will it affect the jobs of the drivers but also it will affect the businesses that are running on the highways and roads where the trucks pass by. The stations that are present there for providing services, petrol and also food stalls and motels will be affected. The transport sector has a great influence on the GDP of this coun try, Australia. This essay focuses on this article and describes the ethical implications based on certain classical theories of ethics. This essay points out whether this technological invention is ethically correct in terms of virtue, utilitarianism, contract as well as deontology theories of ethics. This essay gives reasonable explanations for assessing the case under these four classical ethics theories. Utilitarianism Theory The Utilitarianism Theory is one of the four classical theories of ethics. This theory mainly deals with the happiness that is generated in everyone due to some action or activity. According to this theory, if any activity or policy that is enacted by society is considered to be correct morally or ethically correct if that act or policy is responsible for generating the highest level of happiness among most of the people (Arntzenius, 2014). This article gives a clear idea that this advanced technology of introducing automated or driverless trucks will cause huge negative impacts on the people or citizen living in Australia. The unemployment level will rise in the country. The drivers who used to be hired for driving trucks would become completely jobless. There are several businesses that have connection with the trucks. The businesses that exist in the highways and roads will be badly affected. There are motels in the highways. Many people get hired in these motels to serve the trav ellers as well as the drivers. There are petrol pump stations as well as service stations. There are cafes present in the highway and along the road. Introduction of this technology will also take away the jobs of the people working in the cafes, motels, service stations as well as petrol pump stations. Hence it can be clearly seen that there are many number of people who will be disappointed and unhappy. This invention of driverless trucks will not be able to generate happiness among maximum people. Rather it will devastate the entire community of Australia. The community will be ripped off (Vaughn, 2015). The entire country will be under chaos. Another issue that is taken into account in this context is the safety issue. There can be several situations that can occur in the road. An automated system cannot know the solution of every situation or incident that takes place. Technology has many faults in it. It cannot be 100 per cent error free. Faulty system can cause huge loss. Con sider a situation where many people come in the front of truck and in this case the automated truck will have to take the side but there are trees on both sides. This leads to ethical issue (Niebuhr, 2013). Here the Utilitarianism Theory will suggest taking a decision where it will make most people happy. But it is unethical to compromise the life of the passenger in order to save so many people. This ethical theory gives a suggestion that a policy or activity is morally or ethically correct if it generates or produces extreme level of happiness among most of the people (Crimmins, 2017). There will be high degree of dissatisfaction and maximum people will be in despair if driverless trucks are introduced. Therefore it can be seen that this advanced technology of introduction of driverless trucks is not morally permissible because it does not generate happiness among maximum people Deontology Theory The Deontology Theory is based on obligations and duties. Here ethics is directly connected with carrying out duty. This theory says that if a person carries out his duties then it is morally or ethically correct. This theory states that happiness is not related to morality or ethics (Playford, Roberts Playford, 2015). Deontology theory makes duty as the base for ethics. If a person carries out his obligations and duties properly then he is ethical (Chen Schonger, 2017). Automated trucks will have programs incorporated in it. These programs are built on sequential procedures. Taking care of the passenger and pedestrians safety falls under the category of duty in this case (Dewey, 2016). t is not possible to implement the program to take care of every situation. Suppose a group of people are in front of the truck and in both the sides there are trees. The automated system will not be able to take an ethical decision. According to this theory, all humans are an end in themselves. Hum an beings are not means to end (Lazar, 2017). Human beings have inherent values and ethics. They live independently. If driverless vehicles are introduced then it would not value the human needs because they will become unemployed by losing jobs. Technical problems can also take place. Related businesses will also be affected. The introduction of semi automated cars are much better that fully automated cars. Automated trucks will snatch away the jobs of the drivers and increase the unemployment level. Therefore, according to the theory of Deontology this act is morally or ethically incorrect. Virtue Theory Virtue Theory is an ethical theory that is based on character. The main focus of this theory is to find out what is wrong and what is right. It focuses on the activity of the people and judges whether they are doing wrong or right (Van Hooft, 2014). This ethical theory is not dependent on the happiness of the people as well as the duties which they do. This theory focuses on the virtue of the human beings that are developed on the basis of their habits and training. The system developers cannot incorporate morals in the automated system of the trucks. This theory does not focus on the consequences of an activity or policy. It was said by Elon Musk of Tesla that using driverless cars aims to improve the quality of the lives of people (NewsComAu, 2017). Here the aim behind this technology is to help people and reduced their load of work. Therefore it can be said that the intention is to help people and it does not focus on the consequences. Hence from the perspective of virtue ethics, this act of introducing automated trucks is ethically correct. Contract Theory Contract Theory is one of the four main classical theories of ethics. According to this theory a persons moral values are totally dependent on the existence of a contract. This contract is like a deal between the human beings for forming a society that is good and ethical (Fried, 2015). When a contract exists then it gives guidance to a person to behave ethically. This contract acts as a motivational force to act ethically (Russell, 2016). Consider a situation where an employee of an organization signs a contract saying that he will follow the rules and maintain discipline in the company. The presence of this contract guides the employee to think before acting. This contract plays the role of a motivational factor or catalyst in order to promote moral values in the organization. Algorithms that will contain procedures for imitating the ethical and moral behaviours or values of the people will be incorporated in the system of the automated trucks. Development of every vehicle requires a contract that is to be signed by the developers. Australian economy highly depends on transport industry. Goods are transported to end consumers. Safety requirements will be well incorporated in the system of the automated car. Here if we consider TechCrunchs predictions then it can be said that no harm can be caused by technology on the human beings and there will not be any shortage of jobs. Therefore Contract Theory says that this introduction of automated trucks is an ethical act. Conclusion This essay concludes that the invention of driverless trucks or automated trucks will create issues for the community of Australia rather than giving benefits. It will cause devastation in the entire society. The truck drivers will lose their jobs and the businesses that are related to the trucks will run in losses. The cafes, motels, service stations as well as petrol pumps will face loss. This essay evaluated the introduction of this advanced technology in terms of Utilitarianism, Virtue, Contract and Deontology theories of ethics. References Arntzenius, F. (2014). Utilitarianism, decision theory and eternity.Philosophical Perspectives,28(1), 31-58. Chen, D. L., Schonger, M. (2017). Social preferences or sacred values? theory and evidence of deontological motivations. Crimmins, J. E. (Ed.). (2017).The Bloomsbury encyclopedia of utilitarianism. Bloomsbury Publishing. Dewey, J. (2016).Ethics. Read Books Ltd. Fried, C. (2015).Contract as promise: A theory of contractual obligation. Oxford University Press, USA. Lazar, S. (2017). Deontological Decision Theory and Agent-Centered Options.Ethics,127(3), 579-609. NewsComAu. (2017). The jobs killer is coming. Retrieved 4 September 2017, from https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/travel/the-jobs-killer-is-coming-how-driverless-trucks-could-change-australia/news-story/4f5b8a42b0452703d62e00f3e7644d7b Niebuhr, R. (2013).Moral man and immoral society: A study in ethics and politics. Westminster John Knox Press. Playford, R. C., Roberts, T., Playford, E. D. (2015). Deontological and utilitarian ethics: a brief introduction in the context of disorders of consciousness.Disability and rehabilitation,37(21), 2006-2011. Russell, B. (2016). Contractualism, Consequentialism and the Moral Landscape: A New Pro-Contractualist Picture of Ethical Theory.