Punchcut Robotics : Robots Among Us - Culture, Theory & Ethics

Punchcut // design and Innovation for the connected world 1
ROBOTS  
AMONG US  
CULTURE,  
THEORY  
& ETHICS
PCT 2015
Innovation Insight
Internal Session
robotics
Punchcut // design and Innovation for the connected world

P C
2
T

01
Artiﬁcial Intelligence
02
03
04
Hal & Her
Roboethics
Fiction
05
06
07
Human, Robot & Animal Rights
Military Code
Emotion
08
Evolution

Artiﬁcial
Intelligence
01

ar•ti•ﬁ•cial  
in•tel•li•gence
noun
1. the capacity of a computer to perform operations analogous to
learning and decision making in humans.
2. the theory and development of intelligent agents able to
perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such
as visual perception, speech recognition, decision making, and
translation between languages.
5

Goals
1. Deduction, Reasoning, Problem Solving
2. Knowledge Representation
3. Planning
4. Learning
5. Motion and Manipulation
6. Natural Language Processing
7. Perception
8. Social Intelligence
9. Creativity
10. General Intelligence
Approaches
1. Search and Optimization
2. Logic
3. Probabilistics
4. Classiﬁers and Machine Learning
5. Neural Networks
6. Control Theory
Metrics
1. Optimal: It is not possible to perform
better.
2. Strong Super-Human: Performs better
than all humans.
3. Super-Human: Performs better than
most humans.
4. Sub-Human: Performs worse than most
humans.
For example, performance at checkers is
optimal, performance at chess is super-
human and nearing strong super-human,
and performance at many everyday tasks
(such as recognizing a face or crossing a
room without bumping into something) is
sub-human.

“We need not decide if a machine can think;
we need only decide if a machine can act as
intelligently as a human being.”
— Alan Turing, 1950
7

Turing Test
Standard Turing Test: A variation of the
imitation game in which the interrogator is
tasked with trying to determine which player
is a computer and which is a human.
The interrogator is limited to using the
responses to written questions in order to
make the determination.
8

Some human behavior
is unintelligent.  
Some intelligent
behavior is inhuman.
1. Total Turing Test: The interrogator can
also test the perceptual abilities of the
subject (requiring computer vision) and
the subject’s ability to manipulate
objects (requiring robotics).
2. Minimum Intelligent Signal Test: Only
binary responses (true/false or yes/no)
are permitted, in order to focus only on
the capacity for thought.

Hal & Her
02

2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968

Her, 2013

Hal & Her
How do the Hal 9000 and Samantha  
intelligent agent experiences compare?
Name/Identity
Appearance
Voice
Behavior
Role/Directive

Roboethics
03

eth•ics
noun
1. a system of moral principles.
2. the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class
of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.
3. moral principles, as of an individual.
4. that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to
human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness
of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the
motives and ends of such actions.
Roboethics
ro•bo•eth•ics
noun
1. ethics applied to robotics.
2. the human-centered ethics guiding the design, construction,
use and treatment of robots and other artiﬁcially intelligent
beings.

Siri, 2011

Roomba, 2012

Elmo, 2010

Rodney Brooks, 2003

Characteristics of Life
1. Organization: Being structurally composed of one or more cells
(the basic units of life).
2. Metabolism: Transformation of energy by converting
chemicals and energy into cellular components (anabolism)
and decomposing organic matter (catabolism).
3. Growth: Maintenance of a higher rate of anabolism than
catabolism.
4. Homeostasis: Regulation of the internal environment to
maintain a stable, relatively constant state.
5. Response to Stimuli: A response can take many forms, from
the contraction of a unicellular organism to external
chemicals, to complex reactions involving all the senses of
multicellular organisms.
6. Reproduction: The ability to produce new individual organisms,
either asexually from a single parent organism, or sexually
from two parent organisms.
7. Adaptation: The ability to change over time in response to the
environment.
Roboethics
20

Aspects of Cognition
1. Self-Awareness: The capacity for introspection and the ability to
recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment
and other individuals.
2. Intentionality: The capacity of the mind to refer to an existent or
nonexistent object.
3. Language: The capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of
communication.
4. Memory: The process in which information is encoded, stored, and
retrieved.
5. Intelligence: The capacity for learning, reasoning and understanding;
the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills.
6. Sentience: The ability to feel, perceive, or to experience subjectivity.
7. Sapience: The ability to act with appropriate judgment; wisdom.
8. Creativity: The ability to imagine and create new ideas, forms,
methods, and interpretations; originality.
9. Social Cognition: The encoding, storage, retrieval, and processing of
information relating to social interaction.
Roboethics
21

Fiction
04

Three Laws of Robotics 
Isaac Asimov (I, Robot), 1942
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction,
allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings,
except where such orders would conﬂict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such
protection does not conﬂict with the First or Second Law.
0. A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow
humanity to come to harm.
Fiction
23

Fiction
Ten Principles of Robot Law 
Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy), 1952
1. Robots are created to serve mankind.
2. Robots shall never injure or kill humans.
3. Robots shall call the human that creates them “father”.
4. Robots can make anything, except money.
5. Robots shall never go abroad without permission.
6. Male and female robots shall never change roles.
7. Robots shall never change their appearance or assume another
identity without permission.
8. Robots created as adults shall never act as children.
9. Robots shall never assemble other robots that have been
scrapped by humans.
10. Robots shall never damage human homes or tools.
24

Fiction
25
“Asimov's rules are neat, but they are also
bullshit. For example, they are in English.
How the heck do you program that?”
— Daniel Wilson, 2009
“People ask me about whether our robots
follow Asimov's laws. There is a simple
reason [they don't]: I can't build Asimov's
laws in them.”
— Rodney Brooks, 2009

05
Human, Robot &
Animal Rights

Bill of Rights 
United States Constitution, 1789
1. Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, Petition
2. Right to Bear Arms
3. Freedom from Quartering
4. Freedom from Search and Seizure without Probable Cause
5. Freedom from Double Jeopardy, Self-Incrimination,
Deprivation of Life, Liberty or Property without Due Process
and Just Compensation
6. Right to Speedy Public Criminal Trial by Jury with Counsel
7. Right to Civil Trial by Jury in Matters of $20 or More
8. Freedom from Excessive Bail, Fines, Cruel and Unusual
Punishment
13. Freedom from Slavery
14. Freedom from Discrimination
15. Right to Vote (also 19, 24, 26)
27

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
United Nations, 1948
1. Freedom and Equality
2. Freedom from
Discrimination
3. Right to Life, Liberty and
Security
4. Freedom from Slavery
5. Freedom from Torture
6. Universal Recognition
before the Law
7. Equality before the Law
8. Protection by the Law
9. Freedom from Arbitrary
Detention
10. Right to Trial
11. Innocent Until Proven
Guilty
12. Right to Privacy
13. Freedom of Movement
14. Right to Seek Asylum
15. Right to a Nationality
16. Right to Marriage and
Family
17. Right to Property
18. Freedom of Thought
19. Freedom of Expression
20. Right to Public Assembly
21. Right to Democracy
22. Right to Social Security
23. Right to Fair Work
24. Right to Rest
25. Right to Food and Shelter
26. Right to Education
27. Copyright
28. International Order
29. Duty to Uphold Rights
30. Freedom from Destruction
of Rights
28

World Robot Declaration
International Robot Fair (Fukuoka, Japan), 2004
Expectations for Next-Generation Robots
1. Next-generation robots will be partners that coexist with human beings.
2. Next-generation robots will assist human beings both physically and
psychologically.
3. Next-generation robots will contribute to the realization of a safe and
peaceful society.
Toward the Creation of New Markets through Next-Generation Robots
1. Resolution of technical issues through the effective use of Special Zones
for Robot Development and Test
2. Promotion of public acceptability of robots through the establishment
of standards and upgrading of the environment
3. Stimulation of adoption through promotion of introduction of robots by
public organizations
4. Dissemination of new technologies related to robots
5. Promotion of the development of robot technology by small enterprises,
and their entry into the robot business. The government and academia
shall provide active support for such efforts.
29

Roboethics Roadmap
EURON, 2006
Convention on Roboethics
European Union, 2025
1. Safety: Design of all robots must include provisions for
control of the robot’s autonomy. Operators should be able
to limit robots autonomy in scenarios in which the robots
behavior cannot be guaranteed
2. Security: Design of all robots must include as a minimum
standard the hardware and software keys to avoid illegal
use of the robot.
3. Traceability: Design of all robots must include provisions
for the complete traceability of the robots’ actions, as in an
air craft’s ‘black-box’ system.
4. Identiﬁability: All robots must be designed with protected
serial and identiﬁcation numbers.
5. Privacy: Design of all robots potentially dealing with
sensitive personal information must be equipped with
hardware and software systems to encrypt and securely
store this private data.
30
Robot Ethics Charter
South Korea, 2007

Animal Bill of Rights
Animal Legal Defense Fund, 2007
1. Right of Animals to Freedom from Exploitation, Cruelty,
Neglect and Abuse
2. Right of Laboratory Animals to Freedom from Cruel or
Unnecessary Experiments
3. Right of Farm Animals to an Environment that Satisﬁes Basic
Physical and Psychological Needs
4. Right of Companion Animals to a Healthy Diet, Protective
Shelter and Adequate Medical Care
5. Right of Wildlife to a Natural Habitat, Ecologically Sufﬁcient to
Normal Existence and Self-Sustaining Population
6. Right of Animals to Representation in Court
“The question is not, Can they
reason? nor, Can they talk?  
but, Can they suffer?”
— Jeremy Bentham, 1789
31

Rodney Brooks, 2013

Military Code
06

P.W. Singer, 2009

Daniel Suarez, 2013

Continuum of Force
US Marine Corps Close Combat Manual, 1999
1. Compliant (Cooperative): The subject responds and complies
to verbal commands. Close combat techniques do not apply.
2. Resistant (Passive): The subject resists verbal commands but
complies immediately to any contact controls. Close combat
techniques do not apply.
3. Resistant (Active): The subject initially demonstrates physical
resistance. Use compliance techniques to control the
situation. Level three incorporates close combat techniques to
physically force a subject to comply. Techniques include:
Come-along holds, Soft-handed stunning blows, Pain
compliance through the use of joint manipulation and the use
of pressure points.
4. Assaultive (Bodily Harm): The subject may physically attack,
but does not use a weapon. Use defensive tactics to neutralize
the threat. Defensive tactics include Blocks, Strikes, Kicks,
Enhanced pain compliance procedures, Impact weapon blocks
and blows.
5. Assaultive (Lethal Force): The subject usually has a weapon
and will either kill or injure someone if he/she is not stopped
immediately and brought under control. The subject must be
controlled by the use of deadly force with or without a ﬁrearm.
Military Code
36

Seven Virtues of Bushido (Samurai Moral Code)
Inazo Nitobe (Bushido), 1899
1. Gi (Rectitude): Autonomously reaching a reasoned decision.
2. Yuuki (Courage): Taking one’s decision into action without
regard for personal consequences.
3. Jin (Benevolence): Empathizing with the feelings of others.
4. Rei (Respect): Disciplining oneself to respect procedures that
show respect for the feelings of others.
5. Makoto (Honesty): Absolute commitment to honesty.
6. Meiyo (Honor): Doing nothing to disparage another’s name.
Obeying the precepts.
7. Chuugi (Loyalty): Obeisance to a hierarchy of governance.
Military Code
37

Emotion
07

Meet David, 2012

Theory of Emotion
Robert Plutchik, 1980
1. The concept of emotion is applicable to all evolutionary levels and
applies to all animals including humans.
2. Emotions have an evolutionary history and have evolved various
forms of expression in different species.
3. Emotions served an adaptive role in helping organisms deal with key
survival issues posed by the environment.
4. Despite different forms of expression of emotions in different
species, there are certain common elements, or prototype patterns,
that can be identiﬁed.
5. There is a small number of basic, primary, or prototype emotions.
6. All other emotions are mixed or derivative states; that is, they occur
as combinations, mixtures, or compounds of the primary emotions.
7. Primary emotions are hypothetical constructs or idealized states
whose properties and characteristics can only be inferred from
various kinds of evidence.
8. Primary emotions can be conceptualized in terms of pairs of polar
opposites.
9. All emotions vary in their degree of similarity to one another.
10. Each emotion can exist in varying degrees of intensity or levels of
arousal.
Emotion

Rodney Brooks, 2003

David Hanson, 2009

Evolution
08

Mechanism of Evolution
Charles Darwin (Origin of Species), 1859
1. Heredity: The transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
2. Mutation: The sudden departure from the parent type in one or
more heritable characteristics, caused by a change in a gene or
a chromosome.
3. Sexual Recombination: The formation of new combinations of
genes by crossing over in chromosomes during reproduction.
4. Natural Selection: The process whereby organisms better
adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce
more offspring.
Evolution
44
“It is not the strongest of the
species that survives, nor the
most intelligent that survives.  
It is the one that is the most
adaptable to change.”
— Charles Darwin

Hod Lipson, 2007

Dario Floreano, 2011

Evolution of Adaptive Behavior in Robots 
Dario Floreano, Laurent Keller, 2010
1. Collision-Free Movement
2. Homing
3. Predator-Prey Strategies
4. Coadaptation of Brain and Body
5. Cooperation and Altruism
Hamilton’s Rule: Altruism can be selected for when rB > C, where C
is the fitness cost to the altruist, B is the fitness benefit to the
beneficiary, and r is their genetic relatedness.
Evolution
47

Siris, 2011

1. Artificial Intelligence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Artificial_intelligence
2. Alan Turing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing
3. Turing Test: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test
Hal & Her
5. 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6MMmYyIZlC4
6. Her, 2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzV6mXIOVl4
Roboethics
8. Ethics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics
9. Roboethics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roboethics
10. Siri, 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RudRoBY3XrM
11. Roomba, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of2HU3LGdbo
12. Elmo, 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08nUOn1HAqE
13. Rodney Brooks, 2003: http://www.ted.com/talks/
rodney_brooks_on_robots.html
14. Life: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life
15. Sentience: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentience
Fiction
17. Three Laws of Robotics, 1942: http://akikok012um1.wordpress.com/
asimovs-three-laws-of-robotics/
18. Ten Principles of Robot Law, 1952: http://
akikok012um1.wordpress.com/japans-ten-principles-of-robot-law/
19. Wired for War, 2009: http://books.google.com/books?
id=AJuowQmtbU4C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA423#v=onepage&q&f=false
21. Bill of Rights, 1789: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/
bill_of_rights_transcript.html
22. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948: http://www.un.org/en/
documents/udhr/
23. World Robot Declaration, 2004: http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-
releases/world-robot-declaration-from-international-robot-fair-2004-
organizing-office-154289895.html
24. Roboethics Roadmap, 2006: http://www.roboethics.org/atelier2006/
docs/ROBOETHICS%20ROADMAP%20Rel2.1.1.pdf
25. Robot Ethics Charter, 2007: http://www.roboethics.org/icra2007/
contributions/slides/Shim_icra%2007_ppt.pdf
26. Convention on Roboethics, 2025: http://
akikok012um1.wordpress.com/european-union%E2%80%99s-
convention-on-roboethics-2025/
27. Animal Bill of Rights, 2007: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/
5154/t/3755/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=82
28. Jeremy Bentham: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Bentham
rodney_brooks_why_we_will_rely_on_robots.html
Military Code
30. P.W. Singer, 2009: http://www.ted.com/talks/
pw_singer_on_robots_of_war.html
31. Daniel Suarez, 2013: http://www.ted.com/talks/
daniel_suarez_the_kill_decision_shouldn_t_belong_to_a_robot.html
32. US Marine Corps Continuum of Force, 1999: http://
akikok012um1.wordpress.com/military-robot-laws-a-continuum-of-
engagement/
33. Seven Virtues of Bushido, 1899: http://akikok012um1.wordpress.com/
terasems-macro-bushido-principles/
Emotion
35. Meet David, 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ7E7Qp-s-8
36. Robert Plutchik: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Plutchik
rodney_brooks_on_robots.html
38. David Hanson, 2009: http://www.ted.com/talks/
david_hanson_robots_that_relate_to_you.html
Evolution
40. Charles Darwin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin
41. Hod Lipson, 2007: http://www.ted.com/talks/
hod_lipson_builds_self_aware_robots.html
42. Dario Floreano, 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iWTItEa_Y8
43. Evolution of Adaptive Behavior in Robots, 2010: http://
www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.
1000292
44. Siris, 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiFL_yOvV8Y
Sources
49

S L
50

Punchcut // design and Innovation for the connected world 51Private and confidential. All rights reserved.Punchcut // design and Innovation for the connected world
punchcut.com
hello@punchcut.com
@punchcut
Punchcut is a human interface design
and innovation company specializing  
in connected products and services.  
We envision, design and realize future
product and service experiences that
engage customers and transform
businesses in a connected world.
thank you
Nate Cox
Senior Director, Solutions
PUNCHCUT

Punchcut Robotics : Robots Among Us - Culture, Theory & Ethics

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Punchcut Robotics : Robots Among Us - Culture, Theory & Ethics

Similar to Punchcut Robotics : Robots Among Us - Culture, Theory & Ethics (20)

More from Punchcut

More from Punchcut (6)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Punchcut Robotics : Robots Among Us - Culture, Theory & Ethics