utilitarianism

Set in a post-apocalyptic Outback, Broken Roads leans heavily into its “Moral Compass,” with options that reflect four different philosophies: utilitarianism, nihilism, Machiavellianism and humanism.

An overachieving child born to two overachieving parents, Bankman-Fried and his younger brother were taught at an early age about utilitarianism, a doctrine holding that the most ethical choice is the one that does the most good for the most people.

There’s something oddly compelling about seeing a neat, orderly enumeration of your ethical values—the Moral Machine is much quicker at computing those supposed values than was the college roommate you stayed up all night with discussing the sticking points of utilitarianism.

In case the sheer callousness of this utilitarianism weren’t ugly enough, it was also another misdirect: As I argued in the Daily Beast in 2016, Tesla’s crude safety claim didn’t adjust for the biggest-known factors in road safety, like road type and driver age.

Musk is using utilitarianism in a more limited way, arguing that as long as he’s sure something will have a net benefit, he’s permitted to do it right now.