TY - JOUR
T1 - Robot Evolution
T2 - Ethical Concerns
AU - Eiben, Ágoston E.
AU - Ellers, Jacintha
AU - Meynen, Gerben
AU - Nyholm, Sven
N1 - Funding Information:
SN’s work on this paper is part of the research program Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies, which is funded through the Gravitation program of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO grant number 024.004.031).
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2021 Eiben, Ellers, Meynen and Nyholm.
PY - 2021/11/3
Y1 - 2021/11/3
N2 - Rapid developments in evolutionary computation, robotics, 3D-printing, and material science are enabling advanced systems of robots that can autonomously reproduce and evolve. The emerging technology of robot evolution challenges existing AI ethics because the inherent adaptivity, stochasticity, and complexity of evolutionary systems severely weaken human control and induce new types of hazards. In this paper we address the question how robot evolution can be responsibly controlled to avoid safety risks. We discuss risks related to robot multiplication, maladaptation, and domination and suggest solutions for meaningful human control. Such concerns may seem far-fetched now, however, we posit that awareness must be created before the technology becomes mature.
AB - Rapid developments in evolutionary computation, robotics, 3D-printing, and material science are enabling advanced systems of robots that can autonomously reproduce and evolve. The emerging technology of robot evolution challenges existing AI ethics because the inherent adaptivity, stochasticity, and complexity of evolutionary systems severely weaken human control and induce new types of hazards. In this paper we address the question how robot evolution can be responsibly controlled to avoid safety risks. We discuss risks related to robot multiplication, maladaptation, and domination and suggest solutions for meaningful human control. Such concerns may seem far-fetched now, however, we posit that awareness must be created before the technology becomes mature.
KW - ethics
KW - evolutionary design
KW - evolutionary robotics
KW - meaningful human control
KW - morphological robot evolution
KW - real-world robot evolution
KW - responsibility gaps
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85119501308
U2 - 10.3389/frobt.2021.744590
DO - 10.3389/frobt.2021.744590
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34805290
SN - 2296-9144
VL - 8
JO - Frontiers in Robotics and AI
JF - Frontiers in Robotics and AI
M1 - 744590
ER -