Artificial Moral Agents: Moral Mentors or Sensible Tools?

Ethics and Information Technology (2):1-12 (2018)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to offer an analysis of the notion of artificial moral agent (AMA) and of its impact on human beings’ self-understanding as moral agents. Firstly, I introduce the topic by presenting what I call the Continuity Approach. Its main claim holds that AMAs and human moral agents exhibit no significant qualitative difference and, therefore, should be considered homogeneous entities. Secondly, I focus on the consequences this approach leads to. In order to do this I take into consideration the work of Bostrom and Dietrich, who have radically assumed this viewpoint and thoroughly explored its implications. Thirdly, I present an alternative approach to AMAs—the Discontinuity Approach—which underscores an essential difference between human moral agents and AMAs by tackling the matter from another angle. In this section I concentrate on the work of Johnson and Bryson and I highlight the link between their claims and Heidegger’s and Jonas’s sug-gestions concerning the relationship between human beings and technological products. In conclusion I argue that, although the Continuity Approach turns out to be a necessary postulate to the machine ethics project, the Discontinuity Approach highlights a relevant distinction between AMAs and human moral agents. On this account, the Discontinuity Approach generates a clearer understanding of what AMAs are, of how we should face the moral issues they pose, and, finally, of the difference that separates machine ethics from moral philosophy.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

A challenge for machine ethics.Ryan Tonkens - 2009 - Minds and Machines 19 (3):421-438.
Out of character: on the creation of virtuous machines. [REVIEW]Ryan Tonkens - 2012 - Ethics and Information Technology 14 (2):137-149.
Moral Machines?Michael S. Pritchard - 2012 - Science and Engineering Ethics 18 (2):411-417.
The Bright Line of Ethical Agency.Stevens F. Wandmacher - 2016 - Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology 20 (3):240-257.
Ethics and consciousness in artificial agents.Steve Torrance - 2008 - AI and Society 22 (4):495-521.
Robots: ethical by design.Gordana Dodig Crnkovic & Baran Çürüklü - 2012 - Ethics and Information Technology 14 (1):61-71.
A Vindication of the Rights of Machines.David J. Gunkel - 2014 - Philosophy and Technology 27 (1):113-132.

Analytics

Added to PP
2018-03-17

Downloads
105 (#153,321)

6 months
9 (#144,029)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Fabio Fossa
Politecnico di Milano

References found in this work

Minds, brains, and programs.John Searle - 1980 - Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3 (3):417-57.
Superintelligence: paths, dangers, strategies.Nick Bostrom (ed.) - 2014 - Oxford University Press.
Computing machinery and intelligence.Alan M. Turing - 1950 - Mind 59 (October):433-60.
Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right From Wrong.Wendell Wallach & Colin Allen - 2008 - New York, US: Oxford University Press.

View all 40 references / Add more references