Media representation of ethical and social issues inherent in autonomous vehicle technology

Abstract Successful implementation of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology is not only an engineering challenge but also a social, political, and ethical one. As AVs become commonplace and begin affecting people’s daily lives in a more profound way, media coverage of the social and ethical considerations of these technologies will follow suit. We seek to analyze and categorize the media’s portrayal of the social and ethical issues surrounding AVs to better understand how these issues shape public debate. Our research employs a qualitative thematic analysis of existing public discourse, identifying six areas of interest: (1) social and ethical issues; (2) ethical frameworks; (3) recommendations; (4) tone; (5) type of AV technology; and (6) sensationalism. These themes were derived through a combination of inductive and deductive analysis, informed by existing literature on AV ethics and media framing. Through this approach, we aimed to identify salient considerations in AV technology development and inform future AV systems decisions. Our contributions to the study of public visibility seek to enhance product development and the implementation of AVs, which will largely be steered by public discourse.