The emerging digital technology I$\text{'}$m interested in exploring for this project is autonomous vehicles $($AVs$).$ AVs are vehicles equipped with advanced sensors$,$ artificial intelligence $($AI$),$ and computing systems that enable them to navigate and operate without human intervention.Two primary ethical issues arise with the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles:Safety and Liability: One major ethical concern is ensuring the safety of autonomous vehicles and determining liability in the event of accidents or collisions. AVs must make split$-$second decisions in complex traffic situations, raising questions about how they prioritize different outcomes, such as protecting occupants versus avoiding harm to pedestrians or other vehicles. Additionally, assigning responsibility for accidents involving AVs, whether to the vehicle manufacturer, software developer, or human operator $($if present$),$ presents legal and ethical challenges.Job Displacement and Economic Impact: Another ethical issue is the potential for job displacement and broader economic impacts resulting from the widespread adoption of AVs. As AV technology advances, there is a risk of automation leading to the loss of jobs for millions of individuals employed in transportation$-$related industries, such as truck drivers, taxi drivers, and delivery personnel. This raises ethical questions about equitable distribution of wealth and ensuring that the benefits of AV technology are shared fairly across society.These ethical concerns can be analyzed through various theoretical frameworks, including consequentialism, which evaluates the overall societal consequences of AV deployment; deontology, which emphasizes principles such as duty and rights in decision$-$making; and social contract theory, which considers the implicit agreements and responsibilities between individuals and society in adopting new technologies.Developing a policy proposal for addressing these ethical concerns would involve establishing safety standards and regulatory frameworks for AVs, implementing mechanisms for accountability and transparency in AV decision$-$making algorithms, and designing strategies for retraining and supporting workers affected by automation in the transportation sector.