In Dallas, Texas, just a few days ago, the police used a robot to bring down a gunman who allegedly killed five policeman. I am wondering:
1) Should such robots be used in this way?
2) Is it not possible that such robots someday may turn on their human "masters", despite Asimov's three laws?
3) Self-driving cars are now being tested and in February one such car caused an accident. How will these developments evolve, do you think?
I ask these questions as I have previously worked in AI (Artificial intelligence) and Machine Learning and have a view on these technologies which are increasingly being used in robotics and wonder what others out there think...
You have posed a good philosophical question on the use of robots and its perspective raises a lot of debates on the pros for successes, and cons against safety and ethics.
Ethics is not harmonized with rapid changes in the use of machine learning and AI, and existing regulations are not modified to cope with the changes accordingly to protect consumers. Gillam and Vartapetiance (2010) illustrate that computing professionals, researchers, and users of their applications and programs must understand and explore the essential ethical values and comply with the laws of general society. Moreover, the authors are concerned about existing laws and regulations because of constantly changing technologies and underexplored cyberlaws and cyberethics. Robotic governance and its related ethics and values are closely intertwined.
Gillam, L. & Vartapetiance, A. (2010). Gambling with laws and ethics in cyberspace. In R. Luppicini. (Ed.), Evolving issues surrounding technoethics and society in the digital age. (Section 2). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-4666-6122-6.
Mr Sayah,
Thank you for the reference on the Del Monte book. But, I wonder what your answer is to the rehetorical question in the title of the book?
Mr So,
Thank you to you for your extended response, which I greatly appreciate. I think AI/ML/robotics does and will pose ethical/philosophical problems as these technologies evolve and become more prevalent in societies. If an autonomous self-driving car hits and kills a person on our roads, legal issues will invaraibly arise. Who is liable? The autonomous car? The manufacturer of the car? The firm that provided the control software? The navigation system, the sensors and any number of systems or sub-systems that made the self-driving car possible?
Mr Reichl,
The laws passed by a legislature are not adhered to, even sometimes by legislators, lawyers and, I might add, also by judges...
I think Asimov's laws are just something for us all, including readers of his book(s), to think about and whether robots would comply with them is anybody's guess.
Hi Phil Barbonis
Great question!
I will say 'Not'
If robots do, they are violating the first law of robotics which says, 'A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.'
Not a single technology will survive in the future without following standard ethics and even if some technology did, it would be a big chaos for humanity.
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