The Responsibilities We Give Robots

  Prompt 1: Are there particular jobs or tasks that you think it’d be unethical to require robots to do?

    I think it’s clear that robots are becoming more advanced every year, with them being able to perform more tasks that we humans can do as the days go on. Giving robots the job of performing dangerous tasks in place of humans can make our lives safer and easier every day. However, this does not automatically give the robots permission to act out these tasks if they’re not required to do so. Tasks that involve emotions, human life, and responsibilities should remain in the hands of humans.

One example that I can think of off the top of my head would be military and combat. It raises many moral and ethical questions, like whether robots should be sent into dangerous combat situations, or if a robot should decide whether a person lives or dies. If a robot has the authority to make these decisions, it raises questions about responsibilities. If the robot were to mess up on the battlefield, who’d be to blame? I feel as though humans might be more lenient in bringing about conflicts if they don’t have to involve themselves personally; they can just send a robot to do their bidding. They can be used in dangerous military situations, like detecting hazards or traps, but they shouldn’t be allowed to decide whether someone should be seriously harmed or potentially killed.

Another job that would be unethical for robots to replace would be replacing parents, babysitters, and other people who care for children. At such a young age, children need emotional support from these older figures, rather than being given basic things like safety and entertainment. The relationships between the robots and children won’t be as impactful either, as robots wouldn’t be able to understand children’s feelings as well as a person can. Instead of children developing relationships with other people close to their age, they may become overdependent on the robot. It’s not that robots shouldn’t be around children, but rather they should be seen as an assistance in these children’s lives, rather than the main figure as they grow up.

All in all, I don’t think robots should be restricted from doing dangerous jobs, as many situations call for a robot to protect human lives and make our lives easier. However, that comes with limits to the responsibilities we give them. I think that robots should be able to assist humans, but when emotions, human life, and relationships get involved, I believe they shouldn’t be allowed to do so. Even though a robot can do something, it doesn’t mean that it should.