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Correctness and Completeness of Programming Instructions for Traffic Circulation

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Daniela Vacek at Slovak Academy of Sciences
Daniela Vacek
Matteo Pascucci at Slovak Academy of Sciences
Matteo Pascucci
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Abstract

In the present article we exploit the logical notions of correctness and completeness to provide an analysis of some fundamental problems that can be encountered by a software developer when transforming norms for traffic circulation into programming instructions. Relying on this analysis, we then introduce a question and answer procedure that can be helpful, in case of an accident, to clarify which components of an existing framework should be revised and to what extent software developers can be held responsible.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Science and Engineering Ethics (2021) 27:72
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-021-00350-5
1 3
ORIGINAL RESEARCH/SCHOLARSHIP
Correctness andCompleteness ofProgramming
Instructions forTraffic Circulation
DanielaGlavaničová1 · MatteoPascucci2
Received: 12 November 2020 / Accepted: 28 October 2021 / Published online: 22 November 2021
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2021
Abstract
In the present article we exploit the logical notions of correctness and completeness
to provide an analysis of some fundamental problems that can be encountered by a
software developer when transforming norms for traffic circulation into program-
ming instructions. Relying on this analysis, we then introduce a question and answer
procedure that can be helpful, in case of an accident, to clarify which components of
an existing framework should be revised and to what extent software developers can
be held responsible.
Keywords Autonomous vehicles· Encoding rules· Framework revision· Question
and answer procedure· Responsibility
Introduction
The possible large-scale release of autonomous vehicles (hereafter, AVs) in the
coming years is currently the object of an intense debate between different com-
munities. One of the main issues is understanding how our existing normative sys-
tems and infrastructures for traffic circulation have to change in order to accom-
modate AVs (see, for instance, Douma and Palodichuk 2012). This change will
be hopefully reached at the end of a gradual procedure, in which several tests will
serve the purpose of detecting and correcting defects of existent frameworks, and
will involve vehicles with an increasing level of automation. For instance, in the
United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration currently (June
* Matteo Pascucci
matteopascucci.academia@gmail.com
Daniela Glavaničová
daniela.glavanicova@gmail.com
1 Department ofLogic andMethodology ofSciences, Faculty ofArts, Comenius University
inBratislava, Gondova 2, 81102Bratislava, SlovakRepublic
2 Department ofAnalytic Philosophy, Institute ofPhilosophy, Slovak Academy ofSciences,
Klemensova 19, 81364Bratislava, SlovakRepublic
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... 2 This particular literary use of neural networks, in which authorship is assigned to the network itself, is quite new; up to now, neural networks have largely been used to manage social media, internet shopping, customer service, and research. The literature on such technologies therefore often focuses on ethical issues regarding safety, responsibility, and trust in the context of social media (see Bezuidenhout & Ratti, 2021;Boem & Galletti, 2021;Ratti & Stapleford, 2021;Glavaničová & Pascucci, 2021. ...
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