The Ethics of Disruption: Robots can re-boot the world

Jericho Roundtable Discussion 4th September 2020

Robotics is a key driver in technology to reignite growth and increase skills and productivity.

In an ideal world, robotics are an enabler to support the upskilling of a workforce, and hence increase economic productivity over the long term. However, one thing that seems clear is that COVID means many businesses will regard large numbers of employees working in close proximity as a risk factor.  Will this mean fewer good jobs for humans out there in our economy? What role for regulation as we move to Building Back Better? Do we yet have ethical frameworks in place to deal with future robotic disruption and impact? Or can ethical agency lie only with people, not machines? 

Professor Sethu Vijayakumar joined the Jericho roundtable to discuss the role of robotics as an enabler to support the upscaling of the workforce and increase economic productivity over the long term and the role of robots across the healthcare, manufacturing and service sectors

 

The findings have been published online at the link below. 

Robots: time for a re-boot?