Workshops ERF 2019

Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility for Inclusive Robotics

- ERF 2019 Workshop 49: 20.03.19, 14-15:30 - Room: Galati

Robots in society can be seen as a threat to human dignity, privacy, freedom, equal access or desirable social effects - perhaps furthering marginalization through a form of the digital divide (the robotic gap). It has thus been said that robots should be "inclusive", which would contribute to their acceptance in society. The main idea of the workshop is to bring to the fore the diversity, potential dissonances and points of conflict regarding existing definitions and expectations of inclusiveness of interactive robotics. This Workshop will allow an exploration of ethical and corporate social responsibility issues regarding the design and implementation of inclusive robotics, with particular focus on the role of robot designers, industry and societal stakeholders.

We will examine the question of inclusive robotics in relation to society as a whole and in relation to documents such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Different models from which interactive robotics can be approached, with special emphasis on the dichotomy between the social approach vs medical rehabilitation model of disability, will be presented in relation to vulnerability, functional diversity and care. In order to overcome these barriers and to promote the implementation of truly inclusive interactive robotics, we will raise principles and good practices that should constitute the ethical framework for responsible robotics committed to fairness, justice and the well-being of people.

The Project partners will report on the work done on these issues, and the Experts from the current Groups set by the European Commission will share the state of the art and explain their views and the next actions planned to overcome difficulties. The results will be disseminated through the deliverables in the projects involved, e.g. the INBOTS White Paper on the Regulation of Interactive Robotics in the EU, and all their corresponding networks.

• 14:00 – 14:15 Overview and emerging issues:  inclusiveness, value sensitive design, RRI and CSR (+ SEP draft) - Vincent C. MÜLLER, Anatolia College/University of Leeds & INBOTS 
• 14:15 – 14:25 Issue 1: Design for inclusiveness and disability - Aníbal MONASTERIO, IFS-CSIC & INBOTS 
• 14:25 – 14:35 Issue 3: Corporate Social Responsibility for Inclusive Robotics - Amparo GRAU, UCM & INBOTS 
• 14:35 – 14:45 Issue 2: Patients, carers and robots - Freygarður THORSTEINSSON, ÖSSUR & INBOTS
• 14:45 – 15:15 Open dialogue, through oriented interaction with the audience and final voting of position statements and best practices - Heike Felzmann & Eduard Fosch-Villaronga
• 15:15 – 15:30 Wrap-up by the organizers