Noel Sharkey. You’ve never heard the name before unless you’re really into robot science and techno games. Sharkey is a professor at the University of Sheffield who occasionally appears on British television, being a professional in his field, and speaks about technology and robotics in general. In the article “The Ethical Frontiers of Robotics”, Sharkey explains how robots are influencing our lives. Although they have been there for years, it is how they are being used that is changing. Their sales have risen, and there is a widespread availability of service robots performing domestic duties or doing other tasks. Still, a lot more needs to be done in the field of Artificial Intelligence that has not met its early promises despite the development of sophisticated control algorithms. There are personal-care robots that can be controlled by mobile phone or a PC. Does that mean that parents can leave their children with a robot minder for hours? It remains to be seen how the absence of any human contact will influence their psychological development. Robots are being used in military applications where they destroy their targets without human intervention. The use of Robots at home and in war fields represent ethical issues that arise with the diversity of robotics applications.
Second of all, Sharkey states that since children could be left without human contact for a while, then it is fine for robots to take care of them. Sharkey explains in the article how scientists cannot conduct experiments on children and measure the consequences of long term bonding with robots. Sharkey believes it would be a great idea if it weren't for the consequences. In contrast, what made me fear robots is how they experimented on monkeys instead of humans, and they turned out to have a social dysfunction. Not everything you discover will turn out to be perfect and with the desired results. Sometimes, you have to study further and research more to improve the study and to make it compatible with all types of people and ages. In my opinion, I wouldn’t like to see my children interact with robots all day long. I am sure that getting devoid of any human contact will impact their psychological growth and development in a negative way. Robots may be getting more intelligent, but they still cannot replace a human being. Being with robots is okay for a limited time, but over exposure to them can limit their social development.
Third of all, Sharkey states that the military is getting the most benefit out of robotics. Sharkey mentions how the military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq have deployed more than 5000 mobile robots, mostly for bomb disposals and surveillance, while others are heavily armed and used for combat. Moreover, Sharkey indicates how some robots in the past have had flaws and caused the death of many innocent people. One horrendous event occurred in a hospital in Afghanistan, when missiles were fired automatically by robots without any commands, killing many innocent people and children. That being the case, I believe these type of robotics shouldn’t proceed and spread until examining the defects of the robots and provides more safety. If this spreads worldwide and people start making more of these robots, this means the probability of accidents will increase tremendously, meaning more lives will be lost. Sometimes, you have to concentrate on the consequences before thinking about the actual product.
Reference
Sharkey, N. (2008). The Ethical Frontiers of Robotics. Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader and Rhetoric for Academic Writers, 7, 357-360.
