Ethical Issues in Robotics

This essay explores the ethical challenges and opportunities presented by the increasing use of robots in society. It examines the ethical issues related to software design, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, and discusses how robots can be designed to be ethical. The essay also highlights the importance of understanding these ethical issues for businesses and the potential for robots to become ubiquitous in workplaces and society.

Ethical issues relating to
Ethical Robots

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1. Answer to the questions...........................................................................................................1
2. Robots will be ubiquitous in workplaces and society..............................................................4
3. Future of robotics.....................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Robotics is a stream of science and engineering which includes researches, designing,
building and operating various robots (Galliott, 2016). It helps in usage of computer systems for
the control of robots. The field of robots is rapidly increasing as they are used in certain
hazardous situations where humans can not work and technology advances. But such field
reduces the importance of human resources in the organisation and requires huge power as well
as energy for performing operations.
This business report includes ethical problems in the context of designing software for
robots. In addition, artificial intelligence and machine learning creates risks for businesses and
society. It further includes the manner in which robots could be designed to be ethical robots and
understanding of the ethical issues about robots are important for businesses.
1. Answer to the questions
a. The ethical problems as outlined in the article in the context of designing software for
robots
According to the article, it can be said that the designing of software for robots is an
important step in the robotics field (Dieter Vanderelst and Alan Winfield, 2016). The engineers
have to carefully analyse the usage and accordingly prepares the programming codes for
designing software. Work is performed by the engineers and scientists at different stages for
designing software. Various problems are associated at distinct stages. The programming of the
software is a beginning as well as complex task as it requires huge consideration of the future
work to be performed by the robots and accordingly the companies formulates the programmes
to design software for robots. If the software are not properly programmed, it will lead to
perform the working in another manner. Modularity is the another issue. It includes breaking the
complex programmes into manageable components. When the programmes are divided into bite-
sized and different codes are prepared to further development. It becomes unethical situations to
re connect the programmes for designing a successful software for the robots. Documentation
includes keeping all the details, procedures and usage of robots in a systematic manner. Some of
the mechanical engineers fails to keep the proper record of all documents (Gogoll and Müller,
2017). These plays an important role in the designing stage as in future with the helps of such
documents the working and usage of software can be easily explained to different users. Coding
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is also an ethical issue. It involves the language for software designing. Using illegal codes, not
addressing the required language properly, reversing the codes due to not recognising them
properly are some of the ethical problems faced while designing a software for robots. Software
copyrights is an another ethical issue in the process of designing a software for robots. There are
number of issues faced by any company to get a copyright or patent for the software used in
designing. Such copyrights are used to avoid the unauthorised copying of different software.
Open source license is also the part of software copyright. Thus, all these ethical issues are faced
in the path of developing software for robots (Hudson, Orviska and Hunady, 2017).
b. Artificial intelligence and machine learning create risks for businesses and society
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are used to deal with the intelligent behaviour
and are designed to perform multiple tasks. These are used for understanding, thinking and
behaving as like humans perform. In many organisations, the usage of machines such as robots
are increasing. These requires huge investment for monitoring the operations of any system.
Limited usage of such machines in business or society provides various benefits but the
unlimited adoption of these techniques leads to give negative results. The excess usage of such
field in businesses leads to reduce the human resource working. Human resources are assets of
any business. If the attrition rate of such resources increases it becomes a huge risk situation for
the managers of the entity along with reducing the efficiency and profitability. If they are used in
place of humans, various risky situations will be faced by business and society as machines do
not have any feeling or emotion like humans have, they perform as per the programmes, cannot
provide fair judgements, fails to take decisions for unfamiliar situations, no improvements can be
done with the passage of time, not able to alter their responses (Jotterand, and Dubljevic, 2016).
The programs are required for the performing of robots which requires updating the software for
adapting towards the dynamic situations. If not done on time and in proper manner, it creates a
risk to business of losing important data, fails to perform work according to the uncertain
situations. The usage of such machines is creating a problem of unemployment, understanding
the results, not able to predict situations out of the box, fraud detection of problems, failure to
fulfil social responsibilities, unable to predict the changing circumstances in the society. Thus,
the surplus adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning leads to create various risky
situations in business and society.
c. Robots could be designed to be ethical robots
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Robot ethics is a branch of ethics of information technology which is directly linked with
the legal and socio economic concerns. The engineers and scientists designs the robots and
implement certain factors which concert them into ethical robots. By making various
investments in the research and developments of robots, it becomes possible to develop the
capabilities which increases the interaction with humans for the purpose of thinking and making
decisions alike the humans. The research also helps in identifying, addressing and controlling the
the ethical as well as social issues with the current robots to formulate the positive changes for
designing an ethical robot. With the help of research, the future requirements for the ethical
robots can be forecasted in present and accordingly developments are done to design the ethical
robots. By formulating and implementing the advance programmes in robots will help in
building trust relationships for benefiting the organisation and society. Multiple approaches are
used for formulate, implement and update the programmes from time to time as per the changing
requirements (Ojha and Williams, 2016). The engineers develops several programmes related to
ethical reasoning which enhances the logical thinking of robots in unsimilar situations. With the
help of such programs, critical decisions can be made by considering the situations and providing
assistance wherever required. Several programs also helps in reducing human efforts by
improving the working in different ways to performing operations. There are several new
intelligent technologies for the robots to be ethical robots. These technologies are coded in the
robots to raise the intelligence, responsibility and performance. Such intelligent technologies are
used in the robots for performing critical tasks successfully. With the helps of such technologies,
several tasks performed by humans which has chances of severe human life along with loss will
be performed by robots. This will induce the intelligence of robots to take actions which benefit
the business as well a society.
d. Importance of understanding the ethical issues around robots for businesses
It is very important to understand the ethical issues around robots for the businesses. The
understanding helps in formulating various plans and actions in advance for the uncertain
situations. It helps in analysing that robots are developed for providing benefits to the humans,
businesses and society. If the ethical issues around robots are understood in advance, proper
strategies can be form to prevent any losses, the usage of robots can be limited in the businesses.
The understanding helps in analysing the study of robots working, several ethical issues can be
considered and serious actions can be taken on the basis of results. It helps in storing the records
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of data related to the business activities, programmes, return on investment to eliminate any loss
due to issues of robots performance. Such understanding helps in eliminating the issues for the
purpose of simplifying various complex tasks by reducing the chances of errors. Understanding
the ethical issues of robotics provides a good idea for resolving them to improve the decision
making, efficiency of business. Such understanding helps in evaluating the programmes and
coding done by the engineers for the organisation robots. The evaluation helps in providing
feedback regarding where the deviations or problems has started and improving them for the
long term quality life. In addition, the understanding providing a brief description where changes
are required to build a healthy climate by effective relationship building between people and
ethical robots to generate the favourable results in the business (Sandler, 2016).
2. Robots will be ubiquitous in workplaces and society
According to me, robots will be ubiquitous in workplace and society. They will be
ubiquitous due to the certain benefits which they provide. Robots increases the flexibility to
perform certain tasks which any human can not perform. They are more consistent in performing
their roles without taking any holiday and never denies to anyone for the work given. They get
adapted to any kind of situations and capable of performing the hazardous tasks without
considering the loss of life. At the workplace, robots are present in place of human resources to
prevent the injuries and health issues in hazardous conditions along with providing safety
benefits and minimizing risks (Veruggio, Operto, and Bekey, 2016). There are various machines
which are operated by the robots to reduce the burden on people at work place. The robots are
present to communicate the accurate information without any modifications or alterations to all
people in the organisation. They are used for completing the dangerous work in any type of
industry. Robots are the persuasive machines which perform work according to the updated
programmes installed in them. They provide relevant reports by analysing the dynamic situations
of the economy. The more automated robot, the more prices are charged for selling to different
countries. This helps in building trust relationships between different societies by exchanging the
information and machines. They performs different activities by understanding the societal
environment and complete actions on the basis of programmed knowledge. They helps in
grabbing new opportunities for providing benefits to society. The robots creates the balance
between the technology and automation to avoid the controversial discussions as well as aims to
fulfil responsibilities towards society.
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3. Future of robotics
The robots have wide scope in the future. They will be used by various businesses in
different countries serving the distinct purposes (Innovative UK, 2018.). Major capturing
industries includes pharmaceutical, inspection,FMCG, education, manufacturing, defence and
packaging. They will provide various benefits to business and society. The technologies are
upgrading which overcomes or reduces the ethical issues for designing the software of robots.
The proper technology and programming helps in providing a successful robot which will work
in different situations without complaining in the future time period. Due to the technological
advancements, various countries will use the robots in their business to perform the dangerous
and repetitive work which will benefit the human resources. The impact of such technologies
will provide new innovations for developing new robots with high efficiency power. The ethical
robots performs work in any situation without considering the impact of losses. Robots will
encourage competition, creative thinking and problem solving with the help of different coding.
Such machines are evolved to change the manner various things or actions will be performed in
different industries. In the future, these technologies will become the important aspects in all
sectors and countries. There will be enormous opportunities will be available including the
resources or technologies with the engineers and scientists to design the robots according to
suitable work. Robots will be required for enhancing the profitability by performing the
operations sooner than the required time and producing the quality of products to increase the
standard of living of people in any nation. They have the potentiality to change the working
scenario in many developing nations.
CONCLUSION
From the above business report it can be concluded that there are various ethical
problems such as programming the software, modularity, documentation and coding in the
context of designing software for robots. Artificial intelligence and machine learning creates
various risks in distinct manner for businesses and society. Robots can be designed through
various investments in the research and developments, formulating and implementing the
advance programmes and using new intelligent technologies for ethical robots. It is very
important to consider the ethical issues around robots for businesses. The ubiquitous of robots
will play an essential role in workplaces and society. In addition, the robots have wide scope in
the future circumstances and situations.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Galliott, J., 2016. Commercial space exploration: Ethics, policy and governance. Routledge.
Gogoll, J. and Müller, J. F., 2017. Autonomous cars: in favor of a mandatory ethics setting.
Science and engineering ethics. 23(3). pp.681-700.
Hudson, J., Orviska, M. and Hunady, J., 2017. People’s attitudes to robots in caring for the
elderly. International journal of social robotics. 9(2). pp.199-210.Santoni de Sio, F. and
van Wynsberghe, A., 2016. When Should We Use Care Robots? The Nature-of-
Activities Approach. Science & Engineering Ethics. 22(6).
Jotterand, F. and Dubljevic, V. eds., 2016. Cognitive enhancement: Ethical and policy
implications in international perspectives. Oxford University Press.
Ojha, S. and Williams, M. A., 2016, November. Ethically-Guided Emotional Responses for
Social Robots: Should I Be Angry?. In International conference on social robotics (pp.
233-242). Springer, Cham.
Sandler, R. ed., 2016. Ethics and emerging technologies. Springer.
Veruggio, G., Operto, F. and Bekey, G., 2016. Roboethics: Social and ethical implications. In
Springer handbook of robotics (pp. 2135-2160). Springer, Cham.
Online
Dieter Vanderelst and Alan Winfield., 2016. The Dark Side of Ethical Robots. [Online].
Available through: <https://arxiv.org/abs/1606.02583>
Innovative UK. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://innovateuk.blog.gov.uk/2018/05/30/the-future-of-robotics/>
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