European Parliament calls for robotics regulation

The Committee on Legal Affairs in the European Parliament is calling for additional legislation to be introduced to keep robots safe in the future. Legislation must ensure that robots remain in the service of humanity.

Parliament calls for the creation of an agency for robotics and artificial intelligence. The agency would be engaged in providing its knowledge to public authorities. There must also be a code of conduct that indicates who is responsible for any impacts on society and the environment caused by robots. The members of the committee give as an example that the code could indicate that all robots must have a built-in kill switch, with which a robot can be switched off in an emergency.

Emphasis is also placed on regulations regarding self-driving cars. There must be special insurance that ensures that people who are the victim of an accident with a self-driving car can be compensated for their damage.

If robots and artificial intelligence are developed to such an extent that they can operate completely autonomously, a special legal status will have to be created for them, according to parliament. In this way, a responsible person can be designated in the event of an accident.

It is not yet certain whether such legislation will actually be implemented. The full parliament will meet in February to vote on the proposal.