Scott Robbins

Delft University of Technology, European Trade Union Institute

Papers

Total Citations

231

H-Index

About

Scott Robbins is a philosopher and AI ethics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of machine ethics, artificial intelligence governance, and human-robot interaction. Best known for his critical interrogation of artificial moral agents, his most cited paper, "Critiquing the Reasons for Making Artificial Moral Agents" (2018, 149 citations), challenges widely held assumptions about the necessity and desirability of endowing robots with moral reasoning capabilities — a perspective that has sparked significant debate in both academic and industry circles. His 2019 work on AI regulation, "AI and the Path to Envelopment" (70 citations), advances a knowledge-first framework for responsible AI governance, arguing that understanding the inner workings of machine-learning systems is a prerequisite for meaningful ethical oversight. Robbins has also explored the sensitive terrain of privacy in healthcare robotics, examining how human-robot intimacy raises underappreciated ethical concerns. Collectively, his scholarship offers a thoughtful counter-narrative to uncritical AI optimism, making him a valuable voice for students and researchers grappling with the real-world consequences of deploying intelligent machines in human-facing contexts.