Machina Ethica : A Framework for Computers as Kant Moral Persons

ISBN-13: 9783639143928 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 300 str.

Richard Lucas

Opis

Can computers be ethical? This book explores thecriteria for computers being a Kant moral persons. Alan Turing the mathematician, once remarked that atsome future time we will talk of computers thinking withoutcontroversy. Will the same happen to morality: will we speak of computersacting ethical without anyone raising a word of concern? Ought webe concerned? I think so. So much of our technology is thoughtabout after its affects have become embedded, after it is much toolate to dodge the bullets of consequences. One of the reasons thatsome technology sneaks up on us is that we have notthought about its possibility before: that we have not considered itsshape or character. I think we ought to do this for theethics of computers. Here I examine in detail the question of whethercomputers can be ethical and in this examination look at some of theboundaries that might be in place for them as well as thecharacteristics they might have to have to be considered ethical.

O autorze

Richard Lucas, PhD., Research Fellow, Centre for Applied
Philosophy and Public Ethics,
Australian National University. He has over 30 years experience
in the Australian ICT
industry. He has worked professionally as a project team leader
and systems
analyst. He has taught tertiary students ethics and technology in
Canada, Europe, and
Australia.