Robot Law

Like the Internet before it, robotics is a socially and economically transformative technology. Robot Law explores how the increasing sophistication of robots and their widespread deployment into hospitals, public spaces, and battlefields requires rethinking of a wide variety of philosophical and public policy issues, including how this technology interacts with existing legal regimes, and thus may inspire changes in policy and in law. This volume collects the efforts of a diverse group of scholars who each, in their own way, has worked to overcome barriers in order to facilitate necessary and timely discussions of a technology in its infancy. Identifying controversial legal, ethical, and philosophical problems, the authors reveal how issues surrounding robotics and regulation are more complicated than engineers could have anticipated, and just how much definitional and applied work remains to be done. This groundbreaking examination of a brand-new reality will be of interest and of use to a variety of groups as the authors include engineers, ethicists, lawyers, roboticists, philosophers, and serving military. Contributors include: P. Asaro, C. Bassani, E. Calisgan, R. Calo, G. Conti, D.M. Cooper, G. Conti, E.A. Croft, K. Darling, F. Ferreira, A.M. Froomkin, S. Gutiu, W. Hartzog, F.P. Hubbard, C.E.A. Karnow, I. Kerr, D. Larkin, J. Millar, A. Moon, J. Nelson, F. Operto, N.M. Richards, L.A. Shay, W.D. Smart, B.W. Smith, K. Szilagyi, K. Thomasen, H.F.M. Van der Loos, G. Veruggio

Table of Contents:
Contents: PART II STARTING POINTS Introduction A. Michael Froomkin 1. How Should the Law Think about Robots? Neil M. Richards and William D. Smart PART II RESPONSIBILITY 2. Allocating the Risk of Physical Injury from “Sophisticated Robots”: Efficiency, Fairness, and Innovation F. Patrick Hubbard 3. The Application of Traditional Tort Theory to Embodied Machine Intelligence Curtis E.A. Karnow 4. Lawyers and Engineers Should Speak the Same Robot Language Bryant Walker Smith 5. Delegation, Relinquishment and Responsibility: The Prospect of Expert Robots Jason Millar and Ian Kerr PART III SOCIAL AND ETHICAL MEANING 6. The Open Roboethics Initiative and the Elevator-Riding Robot AJung Moon, Ergun Calisgan, Camilla Bassani, Fausto Ferreira, Fiorella Operto, Gianmarco Veruggio, Elizabeth A. Croft and H. F. Machiel Van der Loos 7. The Application of a ‘Sufficiently and Selectively Open License’ to Limit Liability and Ethical Concerns Associated with Open Robotics Diana Marina Cooper 8. The Roboticization of Consent Sinziana M. Gutiu 9. Extending Legal Protection to Social Robots: The Effects of Anthropomorphism, Empathy, and Violent Behavior Towards Robotic Objects Kate Darling PART IV LAW ENFORCEMENT 10. Confronting Automated Law Enforcement Lisa A. Shay, Woodrow Hartzog, John Nelson, Dominic Larkin and Gregory Conti 11. Do Robots Dream of Electric Laws? An Experiment in the Law as Algorithm Lisa A. Shay, Woodrow Hartzog, John Nelson and Gregory Conti 12. Examining the Constitutionality of Robot-enhanced Interrogation Kristen Thomasen PART V WAR 13. Asleep at the Switch? How Killer Robots Become a Force Multiplier of Military Necessity Ian Kerr and Katie Szilagyi 14. Jus nascendi, Robotic Weapons and the Martens Clause Peter Asaro Index

About the Author :
Edited by Ryan Calo, Lane Powell & D. Wayne Gittinger Endowed Professorship, University of Washington School of Law, A. Michael Froomkin, Laurie Silvers & Mitchell Rubenstein Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Miami School of Law, US and the late Ian Kerr, formerly Canada Research Chair in Ethics, Law & Technology, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Canada

Review :
'The breadth of fascinating legal and public policy challenges posed by the advent of robots (both physical and virtual) into the commerce of daily life are well represented in this wonderful collection of essays. It is truly heartening to witness the depth of reflection offered by the contributing legal and social theorists regarding ways to navigate the countless perceivable policy challenges and uncertainties the roboticization of warfare, commerce, and social interactions affords. With this volume robot law establishes its place as a field that deserves serious attention.' --Wendell Wallach, author, A Dangerous Master: How to keep technology from slipping beyond our control and Chair of the Technology and Ethics study group, Yale University's Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, US'The timing of Robot Law is perfect. If law is going to catch up with technology, it's going to need this book. The editors have convened an expert group of authors to guide us into the future on a wide range of issues. I'd be surprised if any legal case in robotics, in the next decade or so, does not refer to this touchstone work.' --Patrick Lin, California Polytechnic State University, US This is a really interesting law book; food for thought; and will give the reader the serious reality of need for high level talks on the subject.' --The Criminal Lawyer