Towards Machine Ethics: Implementing Two Action-Based Ethical Theories Michael Anderson1, Susan Leigh Anderson2, Chris Armen3 1University of Hartford, 2University of Connecticut, 3Trinity College 1Dept. of Computer Science, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06776 2Dept. of Philosophy, 1 University Place, Stamford, CT 06901 3Dept. of Computer Science, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106
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[email protected] Abstract Clearly, relying on machine intelligence to effect change Machine ethics, in contrast to computer ethics, is con- in the world without some restraint can be dangerous. Until cerned with the behavior of machines towards human us- fairly recently, the ethical impact of a machine’s actions has ers and other machines. It involves adding an ethical either been negligible or, if not, under human supervision. dimension to machines. Our increasing reliance on ma- As we increasingly rely upon machine intelligence with chine intelligence that effects change in the world can be reduced human supervision, we will need to be able to count dangerous without some restraint. We explore the im- plementation of two action-based ethical theories that on a certain level of ethical behavior from it. The fact that might serve as a foundation for machine ethics and pre- we will increasingly rely on machine intelligence follows sent details of prototype systems based upon them. from a simple projection of our current reliance to a level of reliance fueled by market pressures to perform faster, better, and more reliably. As machines are given more responsibil- Introduction ity, an equal measure of accountability for their actions must Past research concerning the relationship between technol- be meted out to them.