Maybe not the programmer (unless we get to position where they are licensed like other engineering disciplines), but we can hold a company liable. Some companies have already stated they will accept "full liability" [1]. That reference is nearly a decade old, and some companies have admitted AV is a much harder problem than they initially anticipated, so I'm wondering if they would walk that statement back now.

[1] https://www.motortrend.com/news/volvo-will-accept-full-liabi...

right, but as far as I know, non of the current self driving testbeds are actively insured and liable. maybe it's under reported, but if you used FEMA value of life, you should have seen multiple million dollar payouts.