RESEARCH QUESTIONS IN ROBOETHICS

Abstract

Robots are becoming a part of our lives. Unmanned aerial vehicles are occupying our skies for both civilian and military purposes. Robots started to serve customers in stores. Autonomous cars are being tested on streets. Robot toys are entertaining our children and they will become friends with our children. Robotic surgery is expanding. Companies are developing robots to become companions to elderly people. There are many other types of robotic applications. Currently, these applications are limited in number and scale. However, with the current fast pace of the robotic technology research, we can expect a wide-spread use in the near future. All these robotic applications will have significant impacts on our society. While this technology brings great benefits, it will also bring new challenges. We will be subject to questions never asked before. Some of these challenges and questions will be about ethical issues surrounding robotics. Roboethics is an emerging discipline dealing with ethical issues related to robotics. To shape this emerging discipline and guide related studies, we first need to ask good research questions. In this study, the goal is to identify and discuss various roboethics research questions. Some of the questions discussed in this paper are essential questions and the search for answers to these research questions will lead to many other interesting and advanced research questions. This study serves as a starting point for researchers interested in working roboethics.

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