Robots and Society

Introduction

Robots and Society takes a critical look at the design, development, production, and implementation of robots and AI used in society. Beyond traditional robot ethics and ethics of technology concepts, the class will build upon more-than-human approaches, feminist and care ethics applied specifically to current technical developments in the fields of robotics and AI. The course will provide students with the skills of critical reflection, ethical sensitivity, and deliberation about the environmental, societal, design, and governance issues at stake concerning these technologies. Thus, the course should prepare students for common problems they will face in their current studies and prepare them for their future careers in the technical or humanities disciplines. The course serves as a first step in uncovering societal issues related to robotics and AI, understanding how and why they are points of concern, and applying conceptual tools to mitigate and/or overcome such issues.

Given the broad background of the students who will participate in this course, many of the topics will be presented as introductions, creating awareness among the students, but nonetheless giving them a firm anchor point to develop knowledge in this subject.

Anticipated content:

• How to live well with robots? A relational and caring perspective.

• Meaningful Human Control over robotic systems. Can we control robots? How to ensure it?

• Values for, in, by the robots. How are robots and morality connected? How can we design robots that are sensitive to human values?

• Transdisciplinary perspectives on robotics. How can robots help to shape the future of work responsibly?

• Robots and environment. How are they connected and what can we do to maintain sustainable human-robot relations?

• Human-robot relations. What happens when we see robots as humans? Is it possible to love a robot? Should robots have rights?

• Robots, politics and governance. Who shapes the areas of public interest and why is it important?

To pass the course, the students need to complete the following:

• Mandatory attendance in tutorials (on campus, four times over the course) - see above

• Short formative assignments (quizzes, assignments during the tutorials) - see above

• Exam (on campus, computer room, closed environment, multiple choice and/or short open questions).

Grades will be calculated as follows: exam (100%).

Exam (on-campus, computer room, closed environment):

• Throughout the exam, the students will be asked to identify, define and illustrate concepts used in the course, to make arguments using ethical principles, theories or frameworks they will learn about in the course, and to defend or critique claims made about robotic and AI-based technologies discussed in the course. Closed environment means that even though an exam will be taken on computer on campus, access to outside materials (e.g. Internet or own devices) will be restricted. Detailed explanations on procedure and practice questions will be covered throughout the course.