Machine Question: AI, Ethics, and Moral Responsibility
Symposium for AISB / IACAP World Congress 2012 – Alan Turing 2012
In recognition of the Turing Centenary, the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour (AISB) will convene a joint meeting with the International Association of Computing and Philosophy (IACAP) on 2-6 July 2012 at the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
As part of this meeting, we are hosting a symposium titled The Machine Question: AI, Ethics, and Moral Responsibility. The symposium, which will take place 3-4 July 2012, seeks to bring philosophers, AI scientists, robotics engineers, and other researchers together in order to investigate and discuss the current state of and future possibilities for machine morality. Questions to be discussed include:
- What kind of moral claim might an intelligent or autonomous machine have?
- Is it possible for a machine to be a legitimate moral agent and/or moral patient?
- What are the philosophical grounds supporting such a claim?
- And what would it mean to articulate and practice an ethics of this claim?
The Machine Question: AI, Ethics and Moral Responsibility seeks to address, evaluate, and respond to these and related questions.
Submissions and Timeline
Please send extended abstracts (500-800 words) and contact information to David Gunkel dgunkel@niu.edu and Joanna Bryson j.j.bryson@bath.ac.uk
Abstracts should be prepared for blind review, provided in pdf format, and sent via email attachment no later than 2 March 2012. Acceptance/rejection decisions will be made and communicated by 16 March 2012. Final papers should be delivered no later than 27 April 2012 to ensure inclusion in the symposium proceedings.
Symposium Co-Chairs
- Joanna Bryson, University of Bath (UK)
- David J. Gunkel, Northern Illinois University (USA)
- Steve Torrance, University of Sussex (UK)
Structure and Proceedings
The Machine Question is one of three symposia in the Ethics, Morality, AI and Mind cluster, which also includes the symposia Moral Cognition and Theory of Mind and Framework for Responsible Research and Innovation in Artificial Intelligence. There will be separate proceedings for each participating symposium, produced and distributed to participants before the Congress.
About the Congress
AISB/IACAP World Congress 2012 serves as the year’s AISB Convention and IACAP conference. The Congress was inspired by a desire to honour Alan Turing, and the broad and deep significance of Turing’s work to AI, the philosophical ramifications of computing, and philosophy and computing more generally. The Congress is one of the events forming the Alan Turing Year
The intent of the Congress is to stimulate a particularly rich interchange between AI and Philosophy on any areas of mutual interest, whether directly addressing Turing’s own research output or not. The Congress will consist mainly of a number of collocated Symposia on specific research areas, interspersed with Congress-wide refreshment breaks, social events and invited Plenary Talks. All papers other than the invited Plenaries will be given within Symposia.
Additional Information