Building an ethical robot

Researchers over at the University of Connecticut are busy working on machine ethics, something you don’t hear about too often unless you’re watching a movie, though in this case we’re talking about a combination of their expertise in computer science and philosophy. The researchers are currently using a machine-learning algorithm that determines the robot’s course of action when reminding someone to take their medication. Over in Japan, NEC’s communication robot PaPeRo has already undergone field trials with patients in hospitals, performing a similar role. The robot they’re using is able to bring medication to a patient and reminds them that they should take it, though the robot will need to know when to respect the personal autonomy of the patient if they refuse and when to contact a human caregiver/doctor to step in if something serious goes wrong. Video after the jump.

Matthew Chung
Categories: Robots
Tags: Robot