COMPUTER SCIENCE: The Ethical Frontiers of Robotics -- Sharkey 322 (5909): 1800 -- Science
In his article above N. Sharkey regrets the lack of ethical guidelines for robots. Sharky raises serious questions about maternal deprivation and attachments only to inanimate surrogates. One might consider Isaac Asimov's -- the science fiction writer: I Robot -- hard wired ethical programs for robots. Doing so might negate the military use of robots altogether. I would suggest the same for robots as infant caregivers.
In a letter to the editor Guo and Zhang suggest that cultural differences, " in the value placed on the development of independence in infant and toddlers could lead to totally divergent views of the use of robots as care givers for children."
Pediatricians and psychologists are aware of Miasma, an infant failure to thrive condition, brought on by sterile hospital like environments for infants. The spectacular example was a South American Orphanage in which supposedly perfect, though remote, care was provided the infants with the unintended consequence of a very high early mortality rate. It is well known that infants identify, grow and learn as a result of close bonding with a parent.
On page 951 (Science, 13 Feb 09, vol323) Rowe and Meadows show that early gestures, between parent and infant, play a critical role in an infant's vocabulary development and thus success in school. A behaviorist -- I have long forgotten the name or reference -- showed that a number of baby ducks, just hatched, would follow him around as if he was their mother because he was the only one around to trigger the follow me instinct.
With these thoughts in mind it would be prudent to forbid, on ethical grounds, any robotic infant care giver role for robots, regardless of the culture or the parents wishes. Consider the probable bazaar unintended consequences: of such isolation from human contact and one's primary identity with a machine. Think of the sexual consequences alone --- if in fact an infant cared for extensively by a robot would even survive.
In his article above N. Sharkey regrets the lack of ethical guidelines for robots. Sharky raises serious questions about maternal deprivation and attachments only to inanimate surrogates. One might consider Isaac Asimov's -- the science fiction writer: I Robot -- hard wired ethical programs for robots. Doing so might negate the military use of robots altogether. I would suggest the same for robots as infant caregivers.
In a letter to the editor Guo and Zhang suggest that cultural differences, " in the value placed on the development of independence in infant and toddlers could lead to totally divergent views of the use of robots as care givers for children."
Pediatricians and psychologists are aware of Miasma, an infant failure to thrive condition, brought on by sterile hospital like environments for infants. The spectacular example was a South American Orphanage in which supposedly perfect, though remote, care was provided the infants with the unintended consequence of a very high early mortality rate. It is well known that infants identify, grow and learn as a result of close bonding with a parent.
On page 951 (Science, 13 Feb 09, vol323) Rowe and Meadows show that early gestures, between parent and infant, play a critical role in an infant's vocabulary development and thus success in school. A behaviorist -- I have long forgotten the name or reference -- showed that a number of baby ducks, just hatched, would follow him around as if he was their mother because he was the only one around to trigger the follow me instinct.
With these thoughts in mind it would be prudent to forbid, on ethical grounds, any robotic infant care giver role for robots, regardless of the culture or the parents wishes. Consider the probable bazaar unintended consequences: of such isolation from human contact and one's primary identity with a machine. Think of the sexual consequences alone --- if in fact an infant cared for extensively by a robot would even survive.
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