The term “roboethics” originates back to the beginning of the twenty-first century. However, the attention it is receiving is fairly new. With the concept of ethics in the spotlight, a debate seems to have sparked on its implementation in various fields of work- especially technology and innovation.
Roboethics can be called as an interdisciplinary area of study that deals with the virtuous functioning of robots- preparing rules for a certain code of conduct that does not pose a threat to humanity or the world in the distant future. The advancement of robotics in the past few years has led to creation of an approach that ensures the actions of newly designed robots are in line with what we today describe as ‘ethical’.
There are various reasons that could be attributed to the growing importance of this idea- the most perceptible being the fact that it plays a crucial role in the relationship between humans and machines. Fast tracked development in automation also demands a stricter proposition towards regulation. In accordance with this fact numerous countries are taking steps to lay the groundwork for a ‘human-robot coexistence society’, examples being Japan and South Korea.
The discussions surrounding this belief are now no longer limited to academics and tech-experts - intellectuals from all over the world are participating in the deliberation. Even though there has been considerable progress in the research surrounding roboethics, people are also setting up their own directives and policies unrestrained by government institutions. This however, leads to the creation of a risk- moral dilemmas. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that robots are integrated in our lives with the guarantee that this technological expansion will not violate human rights.
Roboethics might seem like an unfamiliar territory- it is, however, one in which it is necessary to delve deeper. Howsoever different our opinions might be, the one thing we all can agree on is that there is a dire need for the inclusion of this outlook in today’s world. Once we have a clearer understanding of this objective, smoother and safer operation of ‘ethical robots’ can be ensured.
