Finally, a real "Digital Liberty" story for the mechanical among us. The EU has released a report mulling topics such as "electronic personhood" status for robots, and kill switches:
The European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs has proposed a legal framework for robots that clarifies whether they should have the legal status of people, even as it recommends the inclusion of kill switches in automated systems. "A growing number of areas of our daily lives are increasingly affected by robotics," said rapporteur Mady Delvaux in a statement. "In order to address this reality and to ensure that robots are and will remain in the service of humans, we urgently need to create a robust European legal framework."
The committee's draft report, due to be considered by the full EU Parliament in February, says that robot sales were increasing about 17 per cent annually between 2010 and 2014, then in 2014 the rate jumped to 29 per cent, driven by automotive parts suppliers and the electronics industry. It also notes that robot-oriented patent filings have tripled over the last decade.
[...] The committee is calling for an EU agency to oversee robotics and artificial intelligence and for the adoption of a voluntary ethical code governing who will be accountable for the social, health, and environmental impact of robots. It wants to ensure that robots operate according to established legal, ethical, and safety standards. The committee also hopes robot designers will take responsibility for the actions of their creations. "Robotics engineers should remain accountable for the social, environmental and human health impacts that robotics may impose on present and future generations," the report says.
The Prometheans are coming, and they don't care about anything's personhood.
Also at BBC and The Guardian.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 16 2017, @08:12AM
I've got some news for you
Fembots have feelings too
You split my heart in two
Now what ya gonna do
Once you gone tech
You ain't never going back
I'm hi-tech baby
Fresh out the box
The latest model
Generator running on full throttle
Can I get a fuel up? Hit the bottle (reboot)
I got a lotta automatic booty applications
Got a C-P-U maxed out sensation
Looking for a joy to man my station (reboot)
Rock the nation
(Rock it, baby)
I've got some news for you
Fembots have feelings too
You split my heart in two
Now what ya gonna do
(jag alskar dig)
My system's in mint condition
The power's up on my transistors
Working fine, no glitches
Plug me in and flip some switches
Pull up in dragging position
Pop the hatch and hit ignition
B-b-burn out, baby
Ready for demolition
Once you gone tech
You ain't never going back
My super brain is a binary
Circuitry and mainframe tens-filled here
I'm sipping propane topped with a cherry (reboot)
In fact I'm a very scientifically advanced hot mama
Artificially discreet no drama
Digitally chic titanium armor (reboot)
Ring the alarm-a
I've got some news for you
Fembots have feelings too
(You know)
You split my heart in two
Now what ya gonna do
(Here we go)
My system's in mint condition
The power's up on my transistors
Working fine, no glitches
Plug me in and flip some switches
Pull up in docking position
Pop the hatch and hit ignition
B-b-burn out, baby
Ready for demolition
One you gone tech
You're never ever going back
One you gone tech
You're never ever going back
One you gone tech
You're never ever going back
One you gone tech
You're never ever going back
One you gone tech
You're never ever going back
You gotta enter access code
Up on the back of my neck
Initiating slut mode
All space cadets on deck
There's a calculator in my pocket
Got you all in check
My system's in mint condition
The power's up on my transistors
Working fine, no glitches
Plug me in and flip some switches
Pull up in docking position
Pop the hatch and hit ignition
B-b-burn out, baby
Ready for demolition
I'm ready
My system's in mint condition
The power's up on my transistors
Working fine, no glitches
Plug me in and flip some switches
Pull up in docking position
Pop the hatch and hit ignition
B-b-burn out, baby
Ready for demolition