European Parliament legal committee focuses on “rise of the robots”
The European Parliament’s legal affairs committee held a hearing yesterday (21 April) to consider the implications of the growing use of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in areas such as transport and manufacturing. In an official statement posted on the Europa website today (22 April), the European Parliament media unit noted: “Robots are increasingly becoming more important. Not only are they being used in areas such as medicine, agriculture and manufacturing, they are now also capable of driving cars and piloting drones. However, their increasing use and expanding capabilities have significant implications.”
At yesterday’s hearing, the MEPs heard from a range of legal and robotics engineering experts.
Pawel Kwiatkowski, of Warsaw-based Gessel Law Firm, raised the issue of legal responsibility for a robot’s actions: “The robot is not recognised in civil law. Can a robot express intention? I think the answer is very simple when it comes to noncomplex algorithms, but when it gets more complex, I think we have a problem.”
Niel Bowerman, of Oxford University, argued that the European Union (EU) could play an important role in helping to make sure that robots and AI are a force for good: “The EU should keep a broadly global view in its approach on artificial intelligence. It is possible that some AI advances will be destabilising and that some nations may not adapt well. The EU can lay out frameworks which favour stability, wellbeing and economic advance.“
Dr Andrea Bertolini, of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and University of Pisa, said there was a need for common technological standards: “A European Robotics Agency should be set up to develop technological standards that regulate how products should be made to allow us to shift from robotics research to robotics industry in Europe.”
The EP’s legal affairs committee has a working group on robotics and AI, which is currently putting together a draft report. Mady Delvaux, who is writing the report, said: “There are some urgent questions which we have to find answers to, e.g. drones that are already in use, self- driving cars that will soon be on our roads. We have immediate proposals for these questions.”
The legal affairs committee is expected to vote on the report by the end of May, which will be followed by a vote in plenary. According to the EP statement, the report could be used as a basis to draft future legislation related to robotics and artificial intelligence.
In related news, MEPS also held a debate about autonomous cars during the April plenary, while on Wednesday (20 April) the transport committee presented a study on the future of transport and new technologies.
