Machina Ethica

Can computers be ethical? This book explores the§criteria for §computers being a Kant moral persons. §§Alan Turing the mathematician, once remarked that at§some future §time we will talk of computers thinking without§controversy. Will the §same happen to morality: will we speak of computers§acting ethical §without anyone raising a word of concern? Ought we§be concerned? §I think so. So much of our technology is thought§about after its §affects have become embedded, after it is much too§late to dodge §the bullets of consequences. One of the reasons that§some §technology sneaks up on us is that we have not§thought about its §possibility before: that we have not considered its§shape or §character. I think we ought to do this for the§ethics of computers. §Here I examine in detail the question of whether§computers can be §ethical and in this examination look at some of the§boundaries that §might be in place for them as well as the§characteristics they might §have to have to be considered ethical. Can computers be ethical? This book explores the§criteria for §computers being a Kant moral persons. §Alan Turing the mathematician, once remarked that at§some future §time we will talk of computers thinking without§controversy. Will the §same happen to morality: will we speak of computers§acting ethical §without anyone raising a word of concern? Ought we§be concerned? §I think so. So much of our technology is thought§about after its §affects have become embedded, after it is much too§late to dodge §the bullets of consequences. One of the reasons that§some §technology sneaks up on us is that we have not§thought about its §possibility before: that we have not considered its§shape or §character. I think we ought to do this for the§ethics of computers. §Here I examine in detail the question of whether§computers can be §ethical and in this examination look at some of the§boundaries that §might be in place for them as well as the§characteristics they might §have to have to be considered ethical.