Co-Robots from an Ethical Perspective

Abstract

Cooperation and collaboration robots work hand-in-hand with their human colleagues. This chapter focuses on the use of these robots in production. The co-robots (to use this parent designation) are defined and classified, and application areas, examples of applications and product examples mentioned. Against this background, a discussion on moral issues takes place, both from the perspective of information and technology ethics as well as from business ethics. Central concepts of these applied ethics are consulted and transferred to the areas of application. In moral terms, the use of co-operation and collaboration robots involves both opportunities and risks. Co-robots can support workers and save them from strains and injuries, but can also displace them in certain activities or make them dependent. Machine ethics is included at the margin; it is about whether and how to improve the decisions and actions of (partially) autonomous systems in terms of moral. Cooperation and collaboration robots are a new and interesting subject for it.