Workshops ERF 2017

 

Topics group euRobotics
'ethical, legal and social issues' (ELS)

3 Workshops at the European Robotics Forum 2017

22-23 March 2017, Edinburgh

 

Organisation:

Vincent C. Müller (Anatolia College/ACT & Univ. of Leeds)

 

ELS 1: Ethics (22.3.17, 14-15:30) Room: KUKA/Fintry

ELS 2: Legal (23.3.17, 8:30-10:00) Room: KUKA/Fintry 

ELS 3: Social & Economic (22.3.17, 16:15-17:45) Room: KUKA/Fintry

 

& Discussion of the topics group 2017 Position Paper: Ethical, Legal and Socio-economic Issues in Robotics
 

ELS 1: Ethics - Should society be afraid of robots?

(22.3.17, 14-15:30) Room: KUKA/Fintry

 

The emergence of new technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence causes a vast amount of discussion and even fears about the consequences of their usage and appearance. What can we expect from these machines capable of acting, learning and adapting their behaviour? What are the consequences of introducing autonomous machines into our society?

 

This workshop is the first of a series of three, addressing more specifically the ethical issues, i.e. the observance of values (such as honesty, professional integrity, respect for privacy, ...) and the evaluation of the consequences of our actions (are they for the public good in the long run?). One issue in this regard is the need for verification and validation, to provide assurance of safety and security.

 

 

ELS 2: Legal - Do we need new laws to handle robots?

(23.3.17, 8:30-10:00) Room: KUKA/Fintry

The emergence of new technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence usually causes a vast amount of discussion and even fears about the consequences of their usage and appearance. What can we expect from these machines capable of understanding, acting, learning and adapting their behaviour? What are the consequences of introducing autonomous machines into our society?

Smart regulation for smart products is needed to ensure continued innovation underpinning Europe’s competitiveness in the area. For example, the recently launched Digitising European Industry strategy identifies and addresses the new legal challenges related to robots, autonomous and AI-based systems. These challenges concern, in particular,  the protection and ownership of data generated by the multitude of smarter products, the liability issues resulting from more autonomous systems, and safety in the context of increasing autonomy and interaction.

ELS 3: Social & Economic - Are robots a risk to our economy, esp. our jobs?

(22.3.17, 16:15-17:45) Room: KUKA/Fintry

The emergence of new technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence usually causes a vast amount of discussion and even fears about the consequences of their usage and appearance. What can we expect from these machines capable of understanding, acting, learning and adapting their behaviour? What are the consequences of introducing autonomous machines into our society? What effects does robotics have on the job market?

Following the emergence of robots in the working life, the human labour landscape will be drastically re-shaped, with a significant percentage of jobs having the potential to be automated, depending on the sector.  Numerous studies exist on the employment effects of Robotics and AI, with varyingly negative or positive predictions, however the net effect is not known. The question is also on how to prepare our society and workforce for the robotics and AI revolution and era.

  • Emilie Rademakers (KULeuven): Why are there still so many jobs? The impact of robotics and AI on the job market. [15 min]

  • Christophe Leroux & RockEU: The literature on the employment effects of technological change: policy implications and open research questions [15 min]

  • Thilo Zimmermann (Fraunhofer-IPA): Lifelong learning and the future of work [15 min]

  • Presentation and discussion of the 2017 ELS position paper on ‘socio-economic issues' (E. Rademakers) [10 min]