Ethical Artificial Intelligence: An Approach to Evaluating Disembodied Autonomous Systems

In: Rain Liivoja and Ann Valjataga (eds), Autonomous Cyber Capabilities in International Law, forthcoming 2021

16 Pages Posted: 1 Apr 2021

See all articles by Thomas Burri

Thomas Burri

University of St. Gallen

Daniel Trusilo

University of St. Gallen

Date Written: March 31, 2021

Abstract

Building off our prior work on the practical evaluation of autonomous robotic systems, this chapter discusses how an existing framework can be extended to apply to autonomous cyber systems. It is hoped that such a framework can inform pragmatic discussions of ethical and regulatory norms in a proactive way. Issues raised by autonomous systems in the physical and cyber realms are distinct; however, discussions about the norms and laws governing these two related manifestations of autonomy can and should inform one another. Therefore, this paper emphasizes the factors that distinguish autonomous systems in cyberspace, labeled disembodied autonomous systems, from systems that physically exist in the form of embodied autonomous systems. By highlighting the distinguishing factors of these two forms of autonomy, this paper informs the extension of our assessment tool to software systems, bringing us into the legal and ethical discussions of autonomy in cyberspace.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Autonomous Systems, Autonomous Weapons Systems, Cyber Weapons, Applied Ethics, Robotics, Tallinn Manual, International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law,

Suggested Citation

Burri, Thomas and Trusilo, Daniel, Ethical Artificial Intelligence: An Approach to Evaluating Disembodied Autonomous Systems (March 31, 2021). In: Rain Liivoja and Ann Valjataga (eds), Autonomous Cyber Capabilities in International Law, forthcoming 2021, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3816687

Thomas Burri (Contact Author)

University of St. Gallen ( email )

Bodanstrasse 3
Saint Gallen, St. Gallen CH-9000
Switzerland

HOME PAGE: http://www.unisg.ch/en/universitaet/schools/law/ueber-ls/faculty/burri

Daniel Trusilo

University of St. Gallen ( email )

Bodanstrasse 8
SIAW-HSG
St.Gallen, 9000
Switzerland

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