Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming ever more prevalent in our society, exerting widespread impact on our daily lives. From self-driving cars, to robots taking over manufacturing jobs, and big data and algorithms influencing public policy, robotics and AI are transforming humanity as we know it.

At the same time, there are few occasions where the public can engage directly with experts to discuss where robotics and AI might lead us, and above all, what the ethical and moral considerations should be as we are building towards a future of co-existence with robots and AI.

With over 350 participants, the LogicLounge on Ethics and Morality of Robotics which took place at the Oxford Union Debating Chamber, on 16 July 2018, 4pm, tried to fill this gap. In this public panel discussion and debate, we have brought together the general public and experts in the fields of computer science, philosophy, and  law, to discuss the profound ethical and moral implications of robotics, and how a society should gear up for such change.

The public panel discussion and debate was moderated by Judy Wajcman, Anthony Giddens Prof. of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has been joined by a distinguished list of panellists:

Luciano Floridi (Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information, University of Oxford)

Ben Kuipers (Professor of Computer Science and Engineering—specializing in robotics, University of Michigan)

Francesca Rossi (AI Ethics Global Leader / Distinguished Research Staff Member at IBM Research AI, and Professor of Computer Science—specializing in artificial intelligence, University of Padova)

Matthias Scheutz (Professor of Computer Science—with a background in logic and cognitive science, Tufts University)

Sandra Wachter (Lawyer and Research Fellow, University of Oxford and Alan Turing Institute), and

Jeannette Wing (Avanessians Director of the Data Sciences Institute at Columbia University, former VP of Microsoft Research with expertise in security and privacy.

Video LogicLounge: Ethics and Morality of Robotics

Free Admission

Registration is free of charge but compulsory. Please use the following EventBrite page to obtain your ticket, and bring your ticket to the event: Click here and reserve your free ticket.

Event Organizers

Prof. Georg Weissenbacher / Technische Universität Wien – TU Wien / Vienna Center for Logic and Algorithms – VCLA

Marta Kwiatkowska / University of Oxford / Department of Computer Science

May Chan / Federated Logic Conference 2018 – Public Debate Organizer / Email: may DOT chan@oxon DOT org / Website: here

VCLA / Media Relations

Previous LogicLounges

Since its inception at the Vienna Summer of Logic in 2014, which brought together almost 3000 scientists in the fields of logic, philosophy, mathematics, computer science and artificial intelligence, LogicLounge continues to bring together the general public and experts in public debates and discussions. Past LogicLounge discussions

It´s Eudaimonia is engaging the public in the “science of reasoning” in the areas of logic, philosophy, mathematics, computer science and artificial intelligence.

The organizers of the LogicLounge series of public debates are stemming from the logic and computer science community of the Austrian universities. The organizers are among the faculty and supervisors within the LogiCS Doctoral College – Logical Methods in Computer Science, which is after 4 years once again opening its doors to the new batch of the PhD students. Fully funded positions, and admission information available here.