E34. "Cost Of Human Life" by Shannon Frances Smith

Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Audiobooks

This audiobook features "Cost Of Human Life" by Shannon Frances Smith. Published in the June 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do you value human life? Is there a price too high to save the life of another? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Donald is testing new AI software that will run the entire railroad system of the future. It has one final test to pass, the classic ethics dilemma, The Trolley Problem; does it pull the lever and kill one, or do nothing and allow five to die? This should be an easy solution for an unemotional machine. However, the AI decides to do nothing, and allows the five in the simulation to die. When Donald checks its programming, he finds the program has determined, after taking into account lawsuits, delayed passenger complaints, and lost revenue, that doing nothing is the more economically valuable choice. Donald is left with the problem of if, and how, to program the AI on decisions related to value human life.

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