What’s the difference between a software developer and a killer?

Less than you think. They might both have to decide who will die. Is this a bit too absurd, too extreme for you? Let me give you a scenario.

You’re a high school or university graduate. You love technology. You love programming. You are at the top of your class. Everything is perfect. You dream that one day you’ll land your dream job with a high-tech company. You’ll be working on cutting-edge technology.

One day you get a phone call from a car manufacturer -- you know, the ones who are working on self-driving cars. You got your dream job!

It's Monday morning. You walk into the company, you get to your computer, your desk and everything is perfect. Your first task is to design a program routine where you will decide who is going to die.

Crazy? Let me picture something else for you. There’s a small town. It’s a sunny, beautiful day and you’re in a self-driving car. You’re listening to music, enjoying the drive. You come to an intersection. There’s a man with a dog, and a woman with a child, at the intersection.

Out of nowhere, a ball bounces between the cars, and a little girl follows. Physics will tell you that there's no way you can stop the car without killing one person. As the developer, you have to decide whether that’ll be the girl, the man with his dog, the woman and child, or you.

We live in a time where we look to technology to make decisions for us. What we should be looking for is technology that will help us make better decisions. Educated decisions. If we start allowing technology to take the reins, we might not like the outcome.