People want autonomous cars to save young, not old people if forced

If you want to stay safe in the future when self-driving cars are commonplace, walk in groups and don't be old. A study on the programming of autonomous cars gives a revealing look at human ethics. Photo: Felix Kästle/dpa

As the autonomous car becomes more advanced and more nuanced in the actions it can perform, debates on some of the most fundamental questions of humanity are beginning to come to the fore. 

In a recent study carried out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), participants were asked “How should autonomous vehicles be programmed?” in relation to a number of hypothetical situations involving humans.