Publication details
Too Dreadful to be Possible: Alan Turing’s “Heads in the Sand” Objection as a Strategic Move
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | In our paper, we examine the ethical discourse surrounding Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) through the lens of Turing’s “Heads in the Sand” Objection (HSO). We argue that much of the debate has been shaped more by emotional reactions than by rational deliberation. By analyzing both academic literature and popular media, we demonstrate that the HSO strategy underlies many arguments in the AV debate. Recognizing HSO-like arguments allows us to classify segments of the debate as emotionally driven rather than rationally grounded. We identify three recurring strategies employed to circumvent unresolved ethical dilemmas: legal reductionism, engineering pragmatism, and the social contract approach. |