The evolving area of AI and Robotics gives rise to many ethical and legal questions over the status of robots, the rights and responsibilities arising from their use and liability for any harm caused. The module will explore the issues of legal personhood, the protection of robots through IP, the responsibilities arising from data use and the various approaches to allocating responsibility and liability.
The module covers both embodied artificial intelligent systems (robots) and non-embodied ones (intelligent agents). Distinction is also made between the behaviour of robots as tools of human interaction, and robots as independent agents in the legal arena and its legal ramifications.
This module will provide students with an understanding of the legal issues arising from the development of autonomous technologies and of the application of existing laws and developing policies and initiatives.
15 Credits