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Research Assessment #2

Name: Anushka Gupta

Date: 13 September 2018

Subject: Artificial Intelligence

MLA Citation:

Lin, Patrick, et al. “Robot Ethics: Mapping the Issues for a Mechanized World.” Edited by Kyle

Campbell, ​ScienceDirect,​ Elsevier, 19 Jan. 2011,

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0004370211000178​.

Assessment:

In this excerpt from their book, Patrick Lin, Keith Abney, and George Bekey underscore
the moral and ethical issues associated with the new technological revolution. They delve into
the definition of a robot and the dynamicity of the overarching topic associated with this
machine: artificial intelligence. Robots were created with the intent that they would do jobs that
humans were unwilling to do or make certain tasks easier, but as these machines become more
autonomous and humanlike, there runs the risk of them displacing a large portion of the working
population and certain industries as well. Given the societal changes caused by inventions in the
past, it is important to have foresight and address potential dilemmas that may arise. It is time for
the mistakes of the past to act as a guide for the future as modern society transitions to an era of
technology governed by artificially intelligent machines.
Cinema has long romanticized the effects of implementing robots into society and it has
definitely succeeded in fostering an inherent discomfort among most people about this topic.
However what many, including myself, don’t realize is the ubiquity of these artificially
intelligent systems. From environment to entertainment, they have a presence in nearly every
field. It was surprising to see that there has been a surge in the use of robots, but what was most
astonishing was the fact that robots are being used for personal care and as companions. To build
a relationship with a human requires that machine to be able to think like a human. It has to be
able to read nonverbal emotional cues, learn to keep conversation like a human, and in most
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cases it has to be able to have a convincing display of emotion for the companionship to be truly
effective. Arguments that machines with this level of autonomy should be considered to have
human rights will arise therefore introducing a new challenge to legislators and a new moot point
for society.
Another concern is safety. The article mentions that errors in programming and hacking

could have fatal results. Although humans are the ones coding these machines into existence line

by line, humans are not machines themselves. They are still susceptible to making mistakes

therefore equal attention must be directed towards drastically reducing the potential for error.

Additionally, impenetrable safeguards must be developed and placed to protect these machines

and humans from them. The internet already perforated what used to be a rigid line between

private and public information, and without regulation on this new form of technology, the line

may vanish altogether. Not only is information security a concern, but physical safety as well. If

an unauthorized person with malicious intent can remotely access an intelligent machine and

manipulate it, then the results would be catastrophic, especially in the case of military

technology.

While developing machines that utilize artificial intelligence, it is of utmost importance

to not underestimate the risks and controversy associated with it. I realize that it is easy to get

lost in the buzz of this revolutionary technology and forget to create counteractive measures in

case things go south. And as I conduct my study in exploring AI, understanding the social and

ethical implications will be instrumental in allowing me to understand what an enormous

responsibility it is to implement something so groundbreaking into the architecture of society.

This controversial aspect of AI has not hindered my faith in the great things to come from it. In
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fact, it has only made me more eager to gather more information and construct a holistic view of

AI.

Article Link:

https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0004370211000178/1-s2.0-S0004370211000178-main.pdf?_tid=641e43

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