Can machines make ethical decisions?

Abstract

Independent systems and robots can be of great help to achieve goals and obtain optimal solutions to problems caused by the quantity, variation and complexity of information. However, we always face ethical issues related to the design as well as to the running of such systems. There are many problems, theoretical and practical, in integrating ethical decision making to robots. It is impossible to design or run such systems independently of human wish or will. Even if we create totally independent decision making systems, we would not want to lose control. Can we create really independent ethical decision systems? Recent research showed that emotions are necessary in the process of decision making. It seems that it is necessary for an independent decision system to have "emotions." In other words, a kind of ultimate purpose is needed that can lead the decision process. This could make a system really independent and by that ethical. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2013.