Ethically responsible robot development

Development of new technologies sometimes draws inspiration from nature. How do plants and animals solve the problem? An example is robotics, where one wants to develop better robots based on what neuroscience knows about the brain. How does the brain solve the problem? Neuroscience, in turn, sees new opportunities to test hypotheses about the brain…

Decorative image of neurons

Paper roundup – Neuroethics, AI ethics, dual-use, responsible neurorobotics & how to carry on during the Covid-19 crisis

Large-scale international collaborative brain research exists in a societal context. The Human Brain Project is committed to responsible research and innovation. This summer, HPB researchers have published a number of papers on different ethical and societal impacts of neuroscientific advances. As the Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s professional and personal lives, we have shared experiences…

neurons

How can we ensure responsible neurorobotics?

Neurorobotics exists at the intersection of neuroscience and robotics. Some of the ethical concerns raised by the technology are inherited by its parent(s). Worker safety, systems reliability, and unconscious biases, to name a few. But with new technology comes new ethical and social challenges. A recent publication offers an important first step towards responsible neurorobotics.…

Ethics and Neurorobotics workshop

What is neurorobotics and how does it differ from ‘classical robotics’? What are potential future developments in this field? What social and ethical questions might they pose and how do we address them? These were some of the topics discussed at the Ethics and Neurorobotics joint workshop bringing together researchers from the Human Brain Project’s…