Roadmap for Responsible Robotics (Dagstuhl Seminar 23371)

Abstract

This report documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 23371 "Roadmap for Responsible Robotics". The seminar was concerned with robots across all their forms, particularly autonomous robots capable of making their own decisions and taking their own actions without direct human oversight. The seminar brought together experts in computer science, robotics, engineering, philosophy, cognitive science, human-robot interactions, as well as representatives of the industry, with the aim of contributing to the steps towards ethical and responsible robotic systems as initiated by actors such as the European Robotics Research Network (EURON), the European Union’s REELER, and others. We discussed topics including: "Why do autonomous robots warrant distinct normative considerations?", "Which stakeholders are, or should be, involved in the development and deployment of robotic systems, and how do we configure their responsibilities?", "What are the principal tenets of responsible robotics beyond commonly associated themes, namely trust, fairness, predictability and understandability?". Through intensive discussions of these and other related questions, motivated by the various values at stake as robotic systems become increasingly present and impactful in human life, this interdisciplinary group identified a set of interrelated priorities to guide future research and regulatory efforts. The resulting roadmap aimed to ensure that robotic systems co-evolve with human societies so as to advance, rather than undermine, human agency and humane values.