The Principle of Double Effect Applied to Ethical Dilemmas of Social Robots

Abstract

The introduction of social robots into society will require that they follow ethical principles which go beyond consequentialism. In this paper, I show how to apply the principle of double effect to solve an ethical dilemma involving robots studied by Alan Winfield and colleagues. The principle of double effect states conditions for ethically acceptable behavior when there are both positive and negative consequences of an action. I propose a formal semantics with actions, causes, intentions, and utilities based upon the work of Judea Pearl, John Horty, and others. With this formal semantics, the question of whether an action is permitted according to the principle of double effect is reduced to deciding whether a certain formula is true or otherwise.