Steve Torrance

Papers

Total Citations

134

H-Index

About

Steve Torrance is a leading voice in the ethics of artificial intelligence and machine consciousness, whose work bridges philosophy, cognitive science, and robotics. His most influential contribution, the 2007 paper "Ethics and consciousness in artificial agents" (123 citations), probes the profound moral implications of creating machines that might possess subjective experience. Torrance challenges us to consider not just how we should treat AI, but what ethical obligations we might owe to conscious artifacts themselves. Earlier, his 1994 work "The Mentality of Robots" laid foundational questions about machine cognition, while "Will Robots Need Their Own Ethics" (2009) presciently explored whether future AI systems would require their own moral frameworks. Torrance’s research is notable for its philosophical rigor and its insistence that ethics must evolve alongside technological capability. By centering consciousness as a critical variable in AI ethics, he has shaped debates on robot rights, moral patiency, and the boundaries of moral consideration. His work remains essential reading for anyone grappling with the ethical landscape of advanced artificial agents.