EPSRC Principles of Robotics: commentary on safety, robots as products, and responsibility

The EPSRC Principles of Robotics refer to safety. How safety is understood is relative to how tasks are characterised and identified. But the exact task(s) a robot plays within a complex system of agency may be hard to identify. If robots are seen as products, it is nonetheless vital that the safety...

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Main Author: Paula Boddington
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2017-04-01
Series:Connection Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540091.2016.1271396
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author Paula Boddington
author_facet Paula Boddington
author_sort Paula Boddington
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description The EPSRC Principles of Robotics refer to safety. How safety is understood is relative to how tasks are characterised and identified. But the exact task(s) a robot plays within a complex system of agency may be hard to identify. If robots are seen as products, it is nonetheless vital that the safety and other implications of their use in situ must also be considered carefully, and they must be fit for purpose. The Principles identify humans as responsible, rather than robots. We must thus understand how the replacement of human agency by robotic agency may impact upon attributions of responsibility. The Principles seek to fit into existing systems of law and ethics. But these may need development, and in certain context, attention to more local regulations is also needed. A distinction between ethical issues related to the design of robotics, and to their use, may be needed in the Principles.
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spelling doaj-art-795f4c23f45545968d9e8a0a933f3aeb2025-08-20T01:57:44ZengTaylor & Francis GroupConnection Science0954-00911360-04942017-04-0129217017610.1080/09540091.2016.12713961271396EPSRC Principles of Robotics: commentary on safety, robots as products, and responsibilityPaula Boddington0University of OxfordThe EPSRC Principles of Robotics refer to safety. How safety is understood is relative to how tasks are characterised and identified. But the exact task(s) a robot plays within a complex system of agency may be hard to identify. If robots are seen as products, it is nonetheless vital that the safety and other implications of their use in situ must also be considered carefully, and they must be fit for purpose. The Principles identify humans as responsible, rather than robots. We must thus understand how the replacement of human agency by robotic agency may impact upon attributions of responsibility. The Principles seek to fit into existing systems of law and ethics. But these may need development, and in certain context, attention to more local regulations is also needed. A distinction between ethical issues related to the design of robotics, and to their use, may be needed in the Principles.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540091.2016.1271396robot ethicsprinciples of roboticssafetyresponsibility
spellingShingle Paula Boddington
EPSRC Principles of Robotics: commentary on safety, robots as products, and responsibility
Connection Science
robot ethics
principles of robotics
safety
responsibility
title EPSRC Principles of Robotics: commentary on safety, robots as products, and responsibility
title_full EPSRC Principles of Robotics: commentary on safety, robots as products, and responsibility
title_fullStr EPSRC Principles of Robotics: commentary on safety, robots as products, and responsibility
title_full_unstemmed EPSRC Principles of Robotics: commentary on safety, robots as products, and responsibility
title_short EPSRC Principles of Robotics: commentary on safety, robots as products, and responsibility
title_sort epsrc principles of robotics commentary on safety robots as products and responsibility
topic robot ethics
principles of robotics
safety
responsibility
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540091.2016.1271396
work_keys_str_mv AT paulaboddington epsrcprinciplesofroboticscommentaryonsafetyrobotsasproductsandresponsibility