Human interactions are complicated, and ethics is hard. This is why economists have jobs. Consider the eminent domain problem: a government is considering taki

Human interactions are complicated, and ethics is hard. This is why economists have jobs. Consider the eminent domain problem: a government is considering taking someone's farm to build a road. Relevant facts include: how many people would benefit from using the road, and by how much? (Enormously complex question -- one has to model the rearrangement of businesses and homes as a result of the road's existence.) How much does the citizenry value property rights? (Enormously complex -- how do you quantify the benefit of property rights in the same terms as the benefit from physical goods and services? How do you model the effect of the precedent set by this particular case on future cases?) What is the value of the home in question? (Slightly easier but still not simple: Can you just compare this farm to neighboring farms? What if it's special, because the land is different, or its history, or its brand recognition, or for simple sentimental reasons?) Outside of certain narrow, prescribed domains, I'm sure artificial ethics would require artificial general intelligence. When I see academic economists being replaced by computers, I'll believe it's within reach.