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Attributing Agency to Automated Systems: Reflections on Human-Robot Collaborations and Responsibility-Loci
1Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. s.r.nyholm@tue.nl.
Science and Engineering Ethics
|July 20, 2017
Summary
Ethicists often grant autonomous systems, like self-driving cars, independent agency. This paper argues for a human-robot collaboration model, suggesting reduced concerns about responsibility gaps in automated systems.
Area of Science:
- Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
- Robotics and Automation
- Philosophy of Technology
Background:
- Ethicists frequently attribute independent agency to automated systems, including self-driving cars and autonomous weapons.
- This attribution raises concerns about responsibility and retribution gaps when these systems cause harm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the nature of agency attributable to current automated systems, specifically automated cars and military robots.
- To re-evaluate the extent of responsibility and retribution gaps in the context of automated systems.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of agency in automated systems.
- Examination of ethical arguments concerning responsibility gaps.
- Case study approach focusing on automated cars and military robots.
Main Results:
- Automated systems, such as automated cars and military robots, exhibit sophisticated forms of agency.
- This agency should be understood as a collaboration between humans and robots, not as independent action.
- Human involvement in initiating, supervising, and managing robot agency is crucial.
Conclusions:
- Worries about responsibility and retribution gaps in automated systems are often overstated.
- A human-robot collaboration framework provides a more accurate understanding of agency and accountability.
- Ethical frameworks need to adapt to the collaborative nature of human-machine interaction.
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