•  2898
    As robots slip into more domains of human life-from the operating room to the bedroom-they take on our morally important tasks and decisions, as well as create new risks from psychological to physical. This book answers the urgent call to study their ethical, legal, and policy impacts.
  •  350
    Robot Ethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Robotics (edited book)
    with Keith Abney and George A. Bekey
    MIT Press. 2011.
    Robots today serve in many roles, from entertainer to educator to executioner. As robotics technology advances, ethical concerns become more pressing: Should robots be programmed to follow a code of ethics, if this is even possible? Are there risks in forming emotional bonds with robots? How might society--and ethics--change with robotics? This volume is the first book to bring together prominent scholars and experts from both science and the humanities to explore these and other questions in th…Read more
  •  236
    In this chapter, we examine the key moral issues for the intelligence community with regard to the use of robots for intelligence collection. First, we survey the diverse range of spy robots that currently exist or are emerging, and examine their value for national security. This includes describing a number of plausible scenarios in which they have been (or could be) used, including: surveillance, attack, sentry, information collection, delivery, extraction, detention, interrogation and as Troj…Read more
  •  229
    Ethics of Human Enhancement: 25 Questions & Answers
    with Fritz Allhoff, James Moor, and John Weckert
    Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology 4 (1). 2010.
    This paper presents the principal findings from a three-year research project funded by the US National Science Foundation on ethics of human enhancement technologies. To help untangle this ongoing debate, we have organized the discussion as a list of questions and answers, starting with background issues and moving to specific concerns, including: freedom & autonomy, health & safety, fairness & equity, societal disruption, and human dignity. Each question-and-answer pair is largely self-contain…Read more
  •  183
    Untangling the debate: The ethics of human enhancement (review)
    NanoEthics 2 (3): 251-264. 2008.
    Human enhancement, in which nanotechnology is expected to play a major role, continues to be a highly contentious ethical debate, with experts on both sides calling it the single most important issue facing science and society in this brave, new century. This paper is a broad introduction to the symposium herein that explores a range of perspectives related to that debate. We will discuss what human enhancement is and its apparent contrast to therapy; and we will begin to tease apart the myriad …Read more
  •  154
    Ethics of Human Enhancement: An Executive Summary (review)
    Science and Engineering Ethics 17 (2): 201-212. 2011.
    With multi-year funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), a team of researchers has just released a comprehensive report detailing ethical issues arising from human enhancement (Allhoff et al. 2009). While we direct the interested reader to that (much longer) report, we also thank the editors of this journal for the invitation to provide an executive summary thereof. This summary highlights key results from each section of that report and does so in a self-standing way; in other w…Read more
  •  89
    Against Unrestricted Human Enhancement
    with Fritz Allhoff
    Journal of Evolution and Technology 18 (1): 35-41. 2008.
    The defining debate in this new century will be about technology and human enhancement, according to many across the political spectrum.[1] Our ability to use science to enhance our bodies and minds – as opposed to its application for therapeutic purposes – is one of the most personal and therefore passionate issues in an era where emerging technologies seduce us with new and fantastic possibilities for our future. But in the process, we are forced to rethink what it means to be human or, essent…Read more
  •  85
    Nanoethics seeks to examine the potential risks and rewards of applications of nanotechnology. This up-to-date anthology gives the reader an introduction to and basic foundation in nanotechnology and nanoethics, and then delves into near-, mid-, and far-term issues. Comprehensive and authoritative, it: - Goes beyond the usual environmental, health, and safety (EHS) concerns to explore such topics as privacy, nanomedicine, human enhancement, global regulation, military, humanitarianism, education…Read more
  •  72
    What’s So Special about Nanotechnology and Nanoethics?
    International Journal of Applied Philosophy 20 (2): 179-190. 2006.
    Nanoethics is a contentious field for several reasons. Some believe it should not be recognized as a proper area of study, because they believe that nanotechnology itself is not a true category but rather an amalgamation of other sciences, such as chemistry, physics, and engineering. Critics also allege that nanoethics does not raise any new issues but rather revisits familiar ones such as privacy. This paper answers such criticisms and sets the context for the papers that follow in this nanoeth…Read more
  •  57
    Nanotechnology bound: Evaluating the case for more regulation (review)
    NanoEthics 1 (2): 105-122. 2007.
    In continuing news, there is a growing debate on whether current laws and regulations, both in the US and abroad, need to be strengthened as they relate to nanotechnology. On one side, experts argue that nanomaterials, which are making their way into the marketplace today, are possibly harmful to consumers and the environment, so stronger and new laws are needed to ensure they are safe. On the other side, different experts argue that more regulation will slow down the pace of business and innova…Read more
  •  54
    Nanoethics and Human Enhancement: A Critical Evaluation of Recent Arguments
    with Fritz Allhoff
    Nanotechnology Perceptions 2 47-52. 2006.
    Human enhancement – our ability to use technology to enhance our bodies and minds, as opposed to its application for therapeutic purposes – is a critical issue facing nanotechnology. It will be involved in some of the near-term applications of nanotechnology, with such research labs as MIT’s Institute for Soldier Technologies working on exoskeletons and other innovations that increase human strength and capabilities. It is also a core issue related to far-term predictions in nanotechnology, such…Read more
  •  51
    Nanoscience and nanoethics: Defining the disciplines
    with Fritz Allhoff
    Nanoethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology. forthcoming.
    This introduction provides background information on the emerging field of nanotechnology and its ethical dimensions. After defining nanotechnology and briefly discussing its status as a discipline, about which there exists a meta-controversy, this introduction turns to a discussion of the status of nanoethics and lays out particular issues of concern in the field, both current and emerging.
  •  42
    Robot ethics: Mapping the issues for a mechanized world
    with Keith Abney and George Bekey
    Artificial Intelligence 175 (5-6): 942-949. 2011.
    As with other emerging technologies, advanced robotics brings with it new ethical and policy challenges. This paper will describe the flourishing role of robots in society—from security to sex—and survey the numerous ethical and social issues, which we locate in three broad categories: safety & errors, law & ethics, and social impact. We discuss many of these issues in greater detail in our forthcoming edited volume on robot ethics from MIT Press.
  •  39
    War robots clearly hold tremendous advantages-from saving the lives of our own soldiers, to safely defusing roadside bombs, to operating in inaccessible and dangerous environments such as mountainside caves and underwater. Without emotions and other liabilities on the battlefield, they could conduct warfare more ethically and effectively than human soldiers who are susceptible to overreactions, anger, vengeance, fatigue, low morale, and so on. But the use of robots, especially autonomous ones, r…Read more
  •  31
    Ethical Blowback from Emerging Technologies
    Journal of Military Ethics 9 (4): 313-331. 2010.
    The military is a major driver of technological, world-changing innovations which, like the Internet, often have unpredictable dual uses and widespread civilian impact (?blowback?). Ethical and policy concerns arising from such technologies, therefore, are not limited to military affairs, but can have great implications for society at large as well. This paper will focus on two technology areas making headlines at present: human enhancement technologies and robotics, representing both biological…Read more
  •  27
    This introduction provides background information on the emerging field of nanotechnology and its ethical dimensions. After defining nanotechnology and briefly discussing its status as a discipline, about which there exists a meta-controversy, this introduction turns to a discussion of the status of nanoethics and lays out particular issues of concern in the field, both current and emerging.
  •  26
    The essays tackle such contentious issues as environmental impact, health dangers, medical benefits, intellectual property, professional code of ethics, privacy ...
  •  24
    As robots slip into more domains of human life - from the operating room to the bedroom - they take on our morally important tasks and decisions, as well as create new risks from psychological to physical. This book answers the urgent call to study their ethical, legal, and policy impacts.
  •  21
    Ongoing research in nanotechnology promises both innovations and risks, potentially and profoundly changing the world. This book helps to promote a balanced understanding of this important emerging technology, offering an informed and impartial look at the technology, its science, and its social impact and ethics. Nanotechnology is crucial for the next generation of industries, financial markets, research labs, and our everyday lives; this book provides an informed and balanced look at nanotechn…Read more
  •  12
    Commercial space travel is looking more like a real possibility than science fiction, but tied to that ambition we may be held back by the gravity of emerging ethical dilemmas. This viewpoint article surveys a range of social, economic, and political questions, and critically evaluates reasons why we should explore space. The usual ethical issues related to environmental and safety concerns are just the beginning, as there are other interesting questions, such as: what would be a fair process fo…Read more
  •  5
    Esse est Percipi
    In Lee McIntyre, Nancy McHugh & Ian Olasov (eds.), A Companion to Public Philosophy, Wiley. 2022.
    In its widest sense, public relations is about productively communicating with a broader audience, either directly or indirectly, such as through journalist interviews. Academic writing can be abstruse and lengthy, while media coverage can translate those difficult ideas into ordinary language in a more digestible form. Media articles are much easier to share; even as more paywalls are erected on media sites, they're still typically far cheaper than accessing academic journal articles, if not co…Read more
  •  4
    The Basics of Nanotechnology
    with Fritz Allhoff and Daniel Moore
    In What is Nanotechnology and why does it Matter?, Wiley‐blackwell. 2010.
    This chapter contains sections titled: Definitions and Scales The Origins of Nanotechnology The Current State of Nanotechnology The Future of Nanotechnology Nanotechnology in Nature and Applications.
  •  3
    Human Enhancement
    with Fritz Allhoff and Daniel Moore
    In What is Nanotechnology and why does it Matter?, Wiley‐blackwell. 2010.
    This chapter contains sections titled: What is Human Enhancement? Defining Human Enhancement The Therapy–Enhancement Distinction Human Enhancement Scenarios Untangling the Issues in Human Enhancement Restricting Human Enhancement Technologies?
  •  2
    Regulating Nanotechnology
    with Fritz Allhoff and Daniel Moore
    In What is Nanotechnology and why does it Matter?, Wiley‐blackwell. 2010.
    This chapter contains sections titled: The Stricter‐Law Argument Learning from History Objections to the Stricter‐Law Argument An Interim Solution? Putting the Pieces Together.
  •  2
    Privacy
    with Fritz Allhoff and Daniel Moore
    In What is Nanotechnology and why does it Matter?, Wiley‐blackwell. 2010.
    This chapter contains sections titled: Historical and Legal Background Philosophical Foundations Radio Frequency Identity Chips Item‐Level Tagging Human Implants RFID‐Chipped Identification Is RFID a Threat to Privacy?
  •  2
    Nanomaterials
    with Fritz Allhoff and Daniel Moore
    In What is Nanotechnology and why does it Matter?, Wiley‐blackwell. 2010.
    This chapter contains sections titled: Formation of Materials Carbon Nanomaterials Inorganic Nanomaterials.
  •  2
    Applied Nanotechnology
    with Fritz Allhoff and Daniel Moore
    In What is Nanotechnology and why does it Matter?, Wiley‐blackwell. 2010.
    This chapter contains sections titled: Using Nanomaterials Nanotechnology Computing and Robotics Predicting the Future of Technology.
  •  2
    Environment
    with Fritz Allhoff and Daniel Moore
    In What is Nanotechnology and why does it Matter?, Wiley‐blackwell. 2010.
    This chapter contains sections titled: Society, Technology, and the Environment Environmental Risks of Nanotechnology Nanotechnology Solutions to Environmental Problems Overall Assessments: Risk and Precaution.