Ethical Discussion of Robotic Advancements

Rodriguez, David J.

Student Work

Ethical Discussion of Robotic Advancements

Public

Technology is always evolving and changing the world around us, but without trying to understand the implications of new technology we can face many ethical dilemmas. The field of robotics is still a relatively new technological field and is going through countless innovations. This project aims to help and give people a place the learn and talk about possible robotic ethical problems society will face in the near and semi-distant future. This is done through a website that gives overviews of various robotic technologies and analyses them through different ethical frameworks to give people the knowledge needed to start discussing the possible ethical issues caused by the technology. The site gives an overview of the eight robotic domains surgical robotics, distributed robotic systems, companion robots, humanoid robots, biomechatronics, domestic robots, industrial robots, and military robots, which are then examined through the ethical frameworks of human rights, government, accountability, fairness and nondiscrimination, identity, anthropomorphization, human control of technology, promotion of human values/ public interest, safety & security, transparency & explainability, and professional responsibility. The content is formatted in a way so each technological domain has its own page with a narrative story that leads into ethical questions, further readings, and a message board. By giving readers a story with a character they can relate to they will be able to better understand how the technology can have ethical effects on their own lives and discuss with other readers on the site.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator