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SOUTH WEST BUSINESS NEWS


GWS Robotics, which supplies robots for a range of applications, has responded to the European Parliament’s plans to establish laws to govern robots and artificial intelligence. A draft report outlining a possible regulatory framework was


approved by the European Parliament’s legal affairs, and covers a broad range of Artificial Intelligence (AI) related issues, including creating a new legal status of “electronic persons” for the most sophisticated autonomous robots. But GWS Robotics, which develops software specifically


tailored for businesses focused on customer service, believes it could have serious ethical implications. Creative director David Graves (pictured) said: “Robots are essentially sophisticated digital devices, not living creatures, and cannot possess the rights equivalent to animals or humans. The granting of ‘electronic person’ status to robots carries serious ethical risks – diminishing the responsibilities of the humans who program and operate them. “Machines will only be as dangerous as they are allowed to be by their designers in the first place. The responsibility for ensuring they do not endanger people should be in the hands of the designers and operators.” The report, authored by European Member of Parliament (MEP) Mady Delvaux, also recommends that robots should be fitted with “kill” switches so that they can be shut down in emergencies.


Robots’ legal status called into question A


robotics firm in Bristol has questioned calls to create a new legal status of ‘electronic persons’ – fearing it could diminish the responsibility of the programmers.


David said: “Of course robots shouldn’t harm humans,


but to not allow humans to come to harm is difficult to codify and could justify actions that might be problematic


from a legal standpoint. “If a robot prevented you from doing something


because it thought there was a risk of harm to you, whether


or not it was correct that could still involve a significant reduction in your personal freedom.”


The team at the firm, which has invested in a four feet tall


humanoid robot called Pepper, created by SoftBank Robotics, believe a ‘kill switch’ is a sensationalist way of describing an ‘off switch’. David said: “If we were talking about military autonomous robots designed


to physically coerce, disable or kill, then having multiple layers of protection, including a way to remotely disable them, would become very relevant. “But Pepper and other social robots are no more of a threat than any


other machine with limited mobility, autonomy and intelligence and limited physical ability to cause harm.”


10 insight MARCH/APRIL 2017


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