Asimov's Laws Won't Stop Robots from Harming Humans, So We've Developed a Better Solution

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. How do you stop a robot from hurting people? Many existing robots, such as those assembling cars in factories, shut down immediately when a human comes near. But this quick fix wouldn't work for something like a self-driving car that might have to move to avoid a collision, or a care robot that might need to catch an old person if they fall. With robots set to become our servants, companions and co-workers, we need to deal with the increasingly complex situations this will create and the ethical and safety questions this will raise. Science fiction already envisioned this problem and has suggested various potential solutions.