Special Issue: Machine Ethics: The Design and Governance of Ethical AI and Autonomous Systems

Volume 107, Issue 3

March 2019

Guest Editors

Special Issue Papers

Scanning the Issue

By A. F. Winfield, K. Michael, J. Pitt, and V. Evers

Designing a Value-Driven Future for Ethical Autonomous and Intelligent Systems

By G. Adamson, J. C. Havens, and R. Chatila

This paper provides an overview of IEEE’s current activities related to ethics and argues that human values must drive our future autonomous systems in a way that both protects and benefits humanity.

A Value-Driven Eldercare Robot: Virtual and Physical Instantiations of a Case-Supported Principle-Based Behavior Paradigm

By M. Anderson, S. L. Anderson, and V. Berenz

This paper describes both simulated and real-robot implementations of an eldercare robot in which ethical principles are learned, via inductive logical programming, from a set of training examples provided by a project ethicist.

On Proactive, Transparent, and Verifiable Ethical Reasoning for Robots

By P. Bremner, L. A. Dennis, M. Fisher, and A. F. Winfield

In this paper, the authors review and update an approach to the design of ethical robots based on a simulation-based internal model, in which the ethical robot’s reasoning is both transparent and verifiable.

Motivations and Risks of Machine Ethics

By S. Cave, R. Nyrup, K. Vold, and A. Weller

In this paper, the authors clarify various philosophical issues surrounding the concept of an ethical machine and the aims of machine ethics, outlining the potential risks that must be considered and managed.

Clarifying Privacy, Property, and Power: Case Study on Value Conflict Between Communities

By A. Ema, H. Osawa, R. Saijo, A. Kubo, T. Otani, H. Hattori, N. Akiya, N. Kanzaki, M. Kukita, K. Komatani, and R. Ichise

Based around a case study on the “flaming” of fan fiction, this paper aims to clarify notions of privacy and draw lessons for the ethical governance of AI in the presence of value conflicts.

Engineering-Based Design Methodology for Embedding Ethics in Autonomous Robots

By L. J. Robertson, R. Abbas, G. Alici, A. Munoz, and K. Michael

This paper explores a method for embedding ethics into the design and use of an endoscopic capsule for diagnosis and drug delivery, using a codesign approach to reduce end-user risk.

Inside the Organization: Why Privacy and Security Engineering Is a Challenge for Engineers

By S. Spiekermann, J. Korunovska, and M. Langheinrich

This paper reports on the findings from a survey of 124 engineers in order to understand the drivers and impediments facing ethical systems development with respect to privacy and security engineering.