Implications of Robotics for Public Policy

Online presentation by Prof. Clint Andrews

Innovations in robotics are now present in many aspects of human endeavour, from robotic vacuum cleaners to autonomous battlefield drone swarms. Alongside the intended effects of these innovations are some emerging, unintended adverse consequences. Legal and political processes exist in part to prevent and mitigate such harms. This presentation offers a systematic analysis of the emerging routes by which applications of embodied artificial intelligence—robotics—elicit public policy responses. It develops a typology that classifies robotics applications according to how they interact with individual humans, large-scale human populations, and specific physical settings; and whether the robots operate alone, in swarms, or in integrated cyberenvironments. Each case interacts with public policymaking processes in different ways, spanning tort liability law, regulatory codes and standards, and policies for assessing and managing risk. Clear roles emerge for voluntary standards, international collaboration among governance bodies, professionals cross-trained in robotics and public policy, and institutions that effectively anticipate emerging problems.

Register Here: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/415611