Ethics in robotics and automation: a general view

Abstract

Most robotics and automation scientists believe that many new aspects currently emerging in robotics and automation (R&A), and aspects that are expected to emerge in future, call for the development of new cultural, ethical and legal regulations that can face efficiently the most delicate issues that may arise in real practice. Over the last two decades the subject of ethics in R&A has received great attention and many important theoretical and practical results were derived in the direction of making robots and automation systems ethical. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issue of ethics in robotics and automation, and outline major representative achievements in the field.; Albert Einstein: Relativity applies to physics, not to ethics. ; Sholem Asch: Now, more than any time previous in human history, we must arm ourselves with an ethical code so that each of us will be aware that he is protecting the moral merchandise absent of which life is not worth living.; Rudolf Steiner: For everyone who accepts ethical norms, their actions will be the outcome of the principles that compose the ethical code. They merely carry out orders. They are a higher kind of robot.; Daniel H Wilson: We humans have a love-hate relationship with our technology. We love each new advance and we hate how fast our world is changing…..The robots really embody that love-hate relationship we have with technology.