Can a Machine Choose Who Lives? Artificial Intelligence and the Limits of Moral Understanding

Abstract

This paper asks whether artificial intelligence can truly understand right and wrong, or if it only copies moral language without real understanding. It uses the classic trolley problem, where a person must choose between saving three people or one person, to explore how AI handles difficult moral choices. The paper looks at real examples like self driving cars and AI used in war and medicine, and explains why AI can sound moral without actually understanding why a choice matters. It concludes that humans, not machines, must stay responsible for moral decisions.