Robots which care for you, robots which fight for you. Until now, robots have been machines which do the work that we humans find too tedious, too strenuous or too dangerous .They are usually found on the factory floor, assembling, welding and painting components with a speed and accuracy that far exceeds human capabilities. The new generation of robots is breaking free of the production line and taking up ‘employment’ in all areas of our lives. They will care for the elderly, serve in restaurants or guard a building.
The arrival of the ‘social’ (or ‘service’) robot raises a number of issues and concerns. Do we really want a robot at our hospital bedside rather than a real flesh-and-blood nurse? Is a robot security guard any more reliable than its human counterpart? Is it safe to allow the car to drive itself while we read a book?
Factory robots are expected to be fast and accurate. Social robots, on the other hand, must be ‘friendly’ and safe. The Rathenau Institute has examined the social, ethical and legal issues raised by the emergence of this new type of robot.
In association with the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, we staged a special exhibition about robots and the ‘Great Robot Show’. We were co-organizer of an expert meeting held in November 2009 and organized of workshop on Intelligent Robots for the Ministry of Justice and Security, which was held in November 2011.
