Robot Ethics and the Future of Human-Robot Interaction - Sponsored by Laserfiche, Silver Partner

The robots are coming and they're getting smarter, evolving from single-task devices (think Roomba) into machines that can make their own decisions and autonomously navigate public spaces. From transportation systems, hospitals, and the military to our workplaces and households, robots will be everywhere and will increasingly interact with people. Whether you find it exhilarating or terrifying (or both), progress in robotics and related fields like AI raises new ethical quandaries and challenges legal codes created for a world in which a sharp line separates man from machine. Drawing from her recent work exploring humans' emotional responses to robots, Dr. Kate Darling will examine why people fear some robots and empathize with others, while also prompting—and answering—questions about what society's relationship with these robots could look like in the future. What follows is in part an examination of the technology itself that ultimately offers a window into how it's poised to change the way we relate to each other and our own humanity—and why it matters.