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| As human and robot interactions increase the law must consider the legal issues raised by artificial intelligence. Photo courtesy: Tim Robinson | Flickr CC. |
The threat that robots could pose to humanity has been the
subject of numerous works of science fiction. But for professor Ryan Calo of
the University of Washington School of Law, robotics is a serious issue. In a recent article, he argued that we need to begin addressing how the law will
interact with robots, sooner rather than later.
Pointing out that the law has only recently begun to figure
out how to deal with the Internet, Calo argues that robots are become
increasingly common in everyday life, and that they will be one of the most
significant, culture shaping technologies humanity has developed. It’s taken
years for the courts to figure out how the Internet interacts with human
activity and human laws, and it will take time for them to do the same with
robotics.
The big difference with robots, though, is that it is easier
to cross the line from code to physical harm. Robots, being physical, have the
potential to do physical harm to people or property, for any number of reasons.
Problems with code, malfunctions, or even the threat of robots being hacked or
intentionally programmed to do harm are all possible causes for serious damage.
Calo is not the first person to voice concerns about how the
law might interact with robots.
From the White House, to Bill Gates, to speculative fiction authors like Cory
Doctorow, others have been calling for an increased presence and use of robots
in everyday life.
An increase in our interaction with robots and the birth of
artificial intelligence requires new rules and laws to govern how those smart machines
interact with us, and vice versa.
Calo is, however, the first legal scholar to address robots
specifically, arguing for their unique nature as machines, their huge potential
impact on human life, and for a set of laws and legal precedents that address
those unique aspects.
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