Robotics and superhumans

The European Parliament adopted a report urging regulation on robotics. More than one and a half years in preparation, the text could be the first serious step by the EU and Member States toward the regulation of the rapidly developing field of robotics.

“Humanity is on the edge of a new industrial revolution, led by increasingly sophisticated robots, bots, androids and other forms of artificial intelligence,” said Ádám Kósa, member of the EP’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs that was responsible for drafting the report.

“This is no longer sci-fi but reality, and it will very likely affect all layers of society. That is why it is extremely important that lawmakers keep an eye on all legal and ethical concerns and effects,” the Fidesz MEP underlined. During the plenary debate on the report, Kósa emphasized: we need to examine whether the spread of robots will in fact bring about welfare and development because we can already see that, in traditional products and services sectors, it will make many people redundant. Kósa reminded the plenary that while robotics and AI promise certain advances and the creation of new jobs in the short- and medium-term, there is no guarantee that the demand for – higher qualified – workforce in the field of robotics will surpass the number of jobs lost. According to the Fidesz MEP, this is why the next generation should be prepared for the upcoming challenges through education.

According to the MEP, we also need to find an answer to the question of what to do if artificial or genetic enhancements to existing human capabilities results in a sort of superhuman. “The approach of European and human rights law is set around human dignity, which we should continue to regard as our guide,” Kósa emphasized.