Artificial intelligence and responsibility

AI and Society 36 (3):1001-1009 (2021)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In the debate on whether to ban LAWS, moral arguments are mainly used. One of these arguments, proposed by Sparrow, is that the use of LAWS goes hand in hand with the responsibility gap. Together with the premise that the ability to hold someone responsible is a necessary condition for the admissibility of an act, Sparrow believes that this leads to the conclusion that LAWS should be prohibited. In this article, it will be shown that Sparrow’s argumentation for both premises is not convincing. If one interprets the thesis that responsibility (first premise) is necessary in a descriptive sense, this assertion clashes with military theory and practice. And even if you focus on the normative interpretation, that claim does not stand. The second premise for Sparrow’s conclusion, namely that you cannot hold anyone responsible for LAWS’ (mis)deeds, is based on the idea that control is a necessary condition for responsibility. It will be shown that this idea too is not correct, which means that Sparrow’s control argument does not do the work it should do. From this, we can conclude that Sparrow’s justification for his claim that LAWS should be banned is insufficient, and neither can we conclude that the thesis of a responsibility gap has in any case been undermined. However, it will also be argued that someone may be responsible for the actions of LAWS, or that it cannot be excluded that one can be held responsible.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,593

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Intelligence, Artificial and Otherwise.Paul Dumouchel - 2019 - Forum Philosophicum: International Journal for Philosophy 24 (2):241-258.
Embodied artificial intelligence once again.Anna Sarosiek - 2017 - Philosophical Problems in Science 63:231-240.
Consciousness, intentionality, and intelligence: Some foundational issues for artificial intelligence.Murat Aydede & Guven Guzeldere - 2000 - Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Artificial Intelligence 12 (3):263-277.
Ethical Machines?Ariela Tubert - 2018 - Seattle University Law Review 41 (4).
Artificial Intelligence and Wittgenstein.Gerard Casey - 1988 - Philosophical Studies (Dublin) 32:156-175.
Artificial Free Will: The Responsibility Strategy and Artificial Agents.Sven Delarivière - 2016 - Apeiron Student Journal of Philosophy (Portugal) 7:175-203.

Analytics

Added to PP
2021-01-03

Downloads
66 (#222,759)

6 months
15 (#111,863)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

References found in this work

Killer robots.Robert Sparrow - 2007 - Journal of Applied Philosophy 24 (1):62–77.
Just war and robots’ killings.Thomas W. Simpson & Vincent C. Müller - 2016 - Philosophical Quarterly 66 (263):302-22.

View all 15 references / Add more references