When autonomous vehicles cause accidents, who is held responsible? This research explores how people assign blame in scenarios involving harm caused by autonomous technologies versus human-controlled systems. The study compares reactions to harm caused by human-controlled vehicles or soldiers to similar harm caused by autonomous vehicles or robot soldiers, revealing intriguing shifts in blame attribution. The findings indicate that drivers of human-controlled vehicles are typically blamed more than users of autonomous systems. However, as human involvement decreases, blame shifts towards manufacturers and tech company executives, highlighting a complex interplay of responsibility. The research uses degrees of blame and blame apportionment for comprehensive understanding. These findings contribute to the evolving discussions on accountability in an increasingly autonomous world. They highlight the need for clear legal and ethical frameworks to address blame distribution and prevent social psychology issues when autonomous technologies cause harm. This research is robust to how blame was measured and raises critical questions about culpability in multi-agent systems.
Published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, this research aligns with the journal's focus on exploring human social behavior and interpersonal dynamics. The paper delves into blame attribution, a core topic in social psychology, particularly relevant in the context of emerging technologies. By examining how individuals perceive responsibility in autonomous systems, the study contributes to understanding moral judgment and social cognition, key areas of interest for the journal's readership.