VERUGGIO Roboethics Roadmap

EURON ROBOETHICS ROADMAP Release 1.2 (January 2007) 1 of 42 EURON Roboethics Roadmap Gianmarco Veruggio (*) EURON ROBOETHICS ROADMAP Release 1.2 (January 2007) 2 of 42 SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................5 1.1. Ethics & Robotics.............................................................................................................5 1.2. EURON (European Robotics Research Network) ...........................................................5 1.3. EURON Robotics Research Roadmap.............................................................................5 1.4. The Roboethics Atelier.....................................................................................................6 1.5. The Roboethics Roadmap ................................................................................................6 1.5.1. Scope: Near Future Urgency....................................................................................7 1.5.2. Target: Human Centred Ethics.................................................................................7 1.5.3. Methodology: Open Work .......................................................................................7 1.6. Pre-history ........................................................................................................................8 1.7. Documentary and background material ...........................................................................8 2. ETHIC AND ETHICS .............................................................................................................9 2.1. Ethical Issues..................................................................................................................10 2.2. Principles to be followed in Roboethics:........................................................................10 2.3. Ethical Issues in an ICT society .....................................................................................11 2.4. The precautionary principle ...........................................................................................12 3. ETHICS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.....................................................................13 3.1. Oath & pledge ................................................................................................................13 3.2. Code & guideline ...........................................................................................................13 3.3. Appeal ............................................................................................................................14 3.4. Recommendation............................................................................................................14 3.5. Manifesto........................................................................................................................15 3.6. Statement & declaration .................................................................................................15 3.7. Resolution.......................................................................................................................15 3.8. Convention .....................................................................................................................15 3.9. Charter............................................................................................................................15 3.10. Law.............................................................................................................................15 3.11. Conditions for Implementation ..................................................................................16 3.12. Operativeness of the Principles ..................................................................................16 4. UNIVERSALLY ADOPTED ETHICAL PRINCIPLES.......................................................16 4.1. United Nations................................................................................................................16 4.2. Unesco............................................................................................................................17 4.3. Ilo - International Labor Organization ...........................................................................17 4.4. The Nuremberg Code .....................................................................................................17 4.5. World Medical Association............................................................................................18 4.6. World Summit on the Information Society ....................................................................18 4.7. European Union..............................................................................................................18 4.8. Charter Of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000) ....................................19 4.9. General rules regarding ethics in EU research activities................................................19 EURON ROBOETHICS ROADMAP Release 1.2 (January 2007) 3 of 42 5. Intercultural understanding and dialogue...............................................................................20 5.1. International Center for Information Ethics ...................................................................20 5.2. International Society for Ethics and Information Technology.......................................21 5.3. Cultural Attitude Towards Technology and Communication Conference (CATaC) ....21 5.4. The Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs ..............................................21 5.5. Computer Professional for Social Responsibility (CPSR).............................................21 5.6. Makkula Center ..............................................................................................................21 5.7. The Centre for Responsible Nanotechnology ................................................................21 5.8. Union of Concerned Scientists.......................................................................................22 5.9. The International Institute of Humanitarian Law...........................................................22 5.10. The World Transhumanist Association......................................................................22 6. ROBOTICS AND ETHICS ...................................................................................................22 6.1. Specificity of Robotics ...................................................................................................22 6.2. About Roboethics...........................................................................................................23 6.3. What is a Robot? ............................................................................................................24 6.3.1. Robots are nothing but machines ...........................................................................24 6.3.2. Robots have ethical dimensions .............................................................................24 6.3.3. Robots as moral agents...........................................................................................24 6.3.4. Robots, evolution of a new specie.........................................................................24 6.4. Main positions on Roboethics ........................................................................................24 6.4.1. Not interested in ethics. ..........................................................................................25 6.4.2. Interested in short-term ethical questions...............................................................25 6.4.3. Interested in long-term ethical concerns. ...............................................................25 6.5. About the Name .............................................................................................................25 6.6. Disciplines involved in Roboethics................................................................................25 7. ROBOETHICS TAXONOMY ..............................................................................................26 7.1. Humanoids .....................................................................................................................26 7.1.1. Artificial Mind........................................................................................................27 7.1.2. Artificial Body........................................................................................................28 7.1.3. Benefits...................................................................................................................28 7.1.4. Problems.................................................................................................................28 7.1.5. Recommendations ..................................................................................................29 7.2. Advanced production systems........................................................................................29 7.2.1. Industrial robotics...................................................................................................29 7.2.2. Benefits...................................................................................................................30 7.2.3. Problems.................................................................................................................30 7.2.4. Recommendations ..................................................................................................30 7.3. Adaptive robot servants and intelligent homes ..............................................................30 7.3.1. Indoor Service Robots............................................................................................30 7.3.2. Ubiquitous Robotics...............................................................................................30 7.3.3. Benefits: .................................................................................................................31 7.3.4. Problems:................................................................................................................31 7.3.5. Recommendations ..................................................................................................31 EURON ROBOETHICS ROADMAP Release 1.2 (January 2007) 4 of 42 7.4. Network Robotics...........................................................................................................31 7.4.1. Internet Robotics ....................................................................................................31 7.4.2. Robot ecology ........................................................................................................32 7.4.3. Benefits: .................................................................................................................32 7.4.4. Problems:................................................................................................................32 7.4.5. Recommendations ..................................................................................................32 7.5. Outdoor Robotics ...........................................................................................................32 7.5.1. Land........................................................................................................................32 7.5.2. Sea ..........................................................................................................................32 7.5.3. Air...........................................................................................................................33 7.5.4. Space ......................................................................................................................33 7.5.5. Benefits...................................................................................................................33 7.5.6. Problems.................................................................................................................33 7.5.7. Recommendations ..................................................................................................33 7.6. Health Care and Life Quality .........................................................................................33 7.6.1. Surgical Robotics ...................................................................................................33 7.6.2. Bio-Robotics...........................................................................................................34 7.6.3. Assistive Technology .............................................................................................34 7.6.4. Robotics in computational biology ........................................................................34 7.6.5. Benefits...................................................................................................................34 7.6.6. Problems.................................................................................................................34 7.6.7. Recommendations ..................................................................................................35 7.7. Military Robotics............................................................................................................35 7.7.1. Intelligent Weapons................................................................................................35 7.7.2. Robot Soldiers ........................................................................................................35 7.7.3. Superhumans ..........................................................................................................35 7.7.4. Benefits: .................................................................................................................35 7.7.5. Problems:................................................................................................................36 7.7.6. Recommendations ..................................................................................................36 7.8. Edutainment ...................................................................................................................36 7.8.1. Educational Robot Kits ..........................................................................................36 7.8.2. Robot Toys .............................................................................................................36 7.8.3. Entertainment .........................................................................................................37 7.8.4. Robotic Art .............................................................................................................37 7.8.5. Benefits: .................................................................................................................37 7.8.6. Problems:................................................................................................................38 7.8.7. Recommendations ..................................................................................................38 7.9. Final Recommendations.................................................................................................38 8. References ..............................................................................................................................39 8.1. General ...........................................................................................................................39 8.2. Humans, Machines and Robots......................................................................................39 8.3. Science&Ethics ..............................................................................................................41 EURON ROBOETHICS ROADMAP Release 1.2 (January 2007) 5 of 42 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Ethics & Robotics The importance and urgency of Roboethics has been demonstrated by our recent history. Three of the front rank fields of science and technology: Nuclear Physics, Bioengineering, and Computer Science, have already been forced to face the consequences of their ethics and their research’s applications because of pressure caused by dramatic and troubling events, or because of the concern of the general public. In many countries, public opinion, shocked by some of these effects, urged to either halt the whole research/applications, or to strictly control them. Robotics is rapidly becoming one of the leading fields of science and technology: we can forecast that in the XXI century humanity will coexist with the first alien intelligence we have ever come into contact with - robots. It will be an event rich in ethical, social and economic problems. The public is already asking questions such as: “Could a robot do "good" and "evil”? “Could robots be dangerous for humankind?”. Like Nuclear Physics, Chemistry or Bioengineering, in a few years, Robotics could also be placed under scrutiny from an ethical standpoint by the public and Public Institutions (Governments, Ethics Committees, Supranational Institutions). For all these reasons, scientists from the European robotics community, have alerted the need for the discussion of the framework of ethics that inspire the design, manufacturing and use of robots. 1.2. EURON (European Robotics Research Network) EURON aims to promote excellence in robotics by creating resources and exchanging the knowledge we already have, and by looking to the future. The means to achieve this objective are fivefold: 1. Research Coordination. 2. Joint Programme of Research (prospective research projects, topical research studies and research ateliers). 3. Education & Training. 4. Industrial Links. 5. Dissemination. 1.3. EURON Robotics Research Roadmap One major product of EURON is a robotics research roadmap designed to clarify opportunities for developing and employing advanced robot technology over the next 20 years. The document provides a comprehensive review of state of the art robotics and identifies the major obstacles to progress. The main goals of the roadmapping activity are to identify the current driving forces, objectives, bottlenecks and key challenges for robotics research, so as to develop a focus and a draft timetable for robotics research in the next 20 years. The Roboethics Atelier and the present Roboethics Roadmap should be included into this framework. EURON ROBOETHICS ROADMAP Release 1.2 (January 2007) 6 of 42 1.4. The Roboethics Atelier In 2005, EURON funded the Project Euron Roboethics Atelier, with the aim of drawing the first Roboethics Roadmap. Once the profile of the Euron Roadmap project had been discussed and its frame identified, the selection of participants started. This was done on the basis of: o Their participation in previous activities on Techno/Roboethics; o Their cross-cultural attitude, o Their interest in applied ethics. The last step in the process involved a series of discussions via e-mail which led to the definition of the Programme. Participants were asked to prepare a major contribution on their area of expertise, and on a few more on topics they were interested to discuss, even outside their realm of expertise. The organizers promoted the cross-cultural and transdisciplinary contributions. In the frame of the Atelier, the parallel Ethicbots Project (in Science&Society Action Plan) was presented; and the Chairs of the IEEE Technical Committee on Roboethics met during the sessions. 1.5. The R