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The push for rules about robots has hastened as driverless cars have become a reality. Youtube/20thCenturyFox

Robots should be given legal status as 'electronic persons' and fitted with 'kill switches' - EU

An EU committee has made a raft of recommendations about the future of AI.

THE UNSTOPPABLE RISE of robots in our everyday lives requires urgent EU rules such as “kill switches”, European Parliament members have warned.

It came as members passed a resolution urging Brussels into action on automaton ethics.

Mady Delvaux, a Socialist MEP from Luxembourg, led the campaign and warned that Europe is passively standing by as robots take an increasingly powerful role that will grow even stronger with the emergence of driverless cars.

To encourage EU action, Delvaux tabled a resolution at the European Parliament that also includes the need for an EU agency specialised in dealing with artificial intelligence.

Once passed, Delvaux’s resolution could force the European Commission to begin work on laws that deal with these issues head-on.

“A growing number of areas of our daily lives are increasingly affected by robotics,” Delvaux said after a committee vote on her measure.

In order… to ensure that robots are and will remain in the service of humans, we urgently need to create a robust European legal framework.

Delvaux’s resolution was easily passed by the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee yesterday  and now faces a plenary vote, probably in February.

Her report is a broad overview on how robots are creeping into the lives of humans and what the EU can do to stay in control.

Its recommendations are wide-ranging, including the kill switch allowing humans to shut down a robot at the smallest sign of danger.

‘Apocalyptic scenario’

Without such rules, “humanity could face the apocalyptic scenario where robots turn on their human masters,” Delvaux warned in an interview with EU affairs website EurActiv.

Delavaux also warned that robots cannot be your friend, no matter how emotionally involving they may become.

Science and Technology - iCub Robot - Manchester University Peter Byrne Peter Byrne

“We always have to remind people that robots are not human and will never be. Although they might appear to show empathy, they cannot feel it,” she added.

The report also recommends that a specific legal status be created for robots and that the most sophisticated autonomous robots could have the status of “electronic persons”.

The report states that this would give them:

Specific rights and obligations, including that of making good any damage they may cause, and applying electronic personality to cases where robots make smart autonomous decisions.

recommends an EU agency for robotics to oversee all European regulation involving robots, like the bloc already has for food safety or aviation.

Most urgently, the report demands that the EU draw up a legal framework for driverless cars.

Auto builders want to see robotic cars on the roads by 2020, but difficult questions remain on who would be legally liable in the case of a car crash.

“If all decisions of a machine are no longer directly attributable to the actions of a person, it must be clarified who is liable if something goes wrong,” said Greens MEP Julia Reda, who backed the report.

To fill this void, the MEPs called for an obligatory insurance scheme and a fund to ensure victims are fully compensated in cases of accidents.

The report also called for the EU to find ways to help the millions of workers who will inevitably lose their jobs as industries become increasingly automated.

© – AFP 2017 with reporting by Rónán Duffy

Read: Driverless cars – another step towards Big Brother? >

Read: Meet Kirobo, Toyota’s new friendly robot that could cure your loneliness >

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:21 PM

    Only non-Western countries are allowed have borders it seems. Anyone who doesn’t subscribe to that belief is far right in the eyes of open border nut jobs.

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:28 PM

    https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/world/745789/Asylum-seeker-Somali-Koran-Austria-Oberndorf/amp Offended Somali asylum seeker storms the stage of a kindergarten Nativity play in Austria.

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    Mute Marlowemallow
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:34 PM

    @Beachmaster: And then people wonder why so many Austrians were willing to vote for a man tainted with Nazi associations recently.

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:51 PM

    It’s interesting how people are red thumbing the link I posted. Is it because they feel things like this shouldn’t be reported or they agree with his actions?

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    Mute Nazerene
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:57 PM

    Our resident Liberal apologists and keyboard Jihadists.

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    Mute Marlowemallow
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:58 PM

    @Beachmaster: It’s probably because it’s a link to the Express. People tend to fall for the fallacy that the source indicates the truth or otherwise of the contents.

    Next time try finding a German source and let them use google translate. Most won’t because that would be far too much effort. But those who do just might grasp that only ‘far right’ newspapers bother to translate and republish this kind of thing.

    Here, I’ll help with this one:

    “Ein Islamist hat auf einer Kinderweihnachtsfeier die Anwesenden in Angst und Schrecken versetzt. Bei einer Aufführung der Kleinsten stürmte er auf die Bühne und begann aus dem Koran zu predigen.”

    Translation: “An Islamist made attendees at a childrens Christmas festival shocked and afraid. During a performance by the littlest ones he stormed the stage and began to preach from the Koran.”

    http://www.news.de/politik/855655460/koran-angriff-in-oesterreich-somali-stuermt-kinderweihnachtsfeier-und-betet-aus-koran/1/

    He was Somali. Now if one knows anything about Somalia this kind of behaviour is not exactly shocking.

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    Mute Marlowemallow
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:59 PM

    @Nazerene: And that too of course.

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    Mute Jason Murphy
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 2:01 PM

    “We Came We Saw He Died” ..all this is because of this.. and What is also really amazing is the people inputting red thumbs are probably Clinton Fans

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    Mute Nazerene
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 2:04 PM
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    Mute Ben McArthur
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 2:21 PM

    @Jason Murphy: Not really. Most of the people on the boats aren’t Libyan. They are just using Libya as a port of embarcation.

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    Mute Patrick Gough
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 3:30 PM

    What’s the difference between liberals and neoliberals? is it the same as the difference between nazis and neo nazis?

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    Mute johnp
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:24 PM

    Our EU leaders should hang their heads in shame they have had yrs to come up wit an answer to this problem. Genuine refugees should be accepted until returning to there homes when the situation is right (if they wish),economic migrants must be made aware that will not reach Europe and that they are risking their lives for nothing

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    Mute Ó Connmhaigh
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:52 PM

    As populations are rising exponentially in places such as Asia, Africa and the Middle East there will be a corresponding rise in those claiming asylum as refugees for all sorts of reasons.
    Even having legitimate refugee status has its limits as the numbers will be too great to bear in Europe and other parts of the West.
    The West should not be used as a human repository just because other countries in other parts of the world have lost the run of themselves, or never did. Integration, let alone assimilation, will prove impossible. It already is for many.

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    Mute Permo Dermo
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 2:40 PM

    @O’ Connmhaigh- good points

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    Mute Paudi Onail
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:40 PM

    the slave trade is back and alive and well. over 60% of these are economic migrants, perhaps higher now that words got back to their friends behind. fully supported by the elite, the likes of george soros and co. or celeb endorsed dictators smack their exploitive lips at. will they have to deal with it? nah, thats never part of the agenda. one could easily think the media hand pick these boat pics that show just young males, no children, not women… just to stir up those against, a sort of coniving propaganda. The thing is most of them are that, young opportunist men.

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    Mute Superfiends
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:27 PM

    “We have no duty to let them die” Ok, so why can’t you drop them back to their starting point? You are actively encouraging migrants to risk their lives crossing the Med. Blood is on your hands, just like Merkel.

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    Mute winston smith
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:34 PM

    One could hardly term it a rescue at this stage as most of these hundreds of thousands must be aware of the dangers. It’s more of a gambling game right now. The EU should intercept these individuals in Libya, finger print and DNA them and issue a formal warning to them about smugglers and the dangers and so on and if they are subsequently found at sea they should be sent back asap.

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    Mute John Burke
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:16 PM

    Either have border controls or don’t have border controls. Real democratic countries give their citizens a vote in such matters but then again we are in the PO xy EU

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 1:59 PM

    Liam Cunningham is going to house thousands of them in his home.

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    Mute John Jones
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 2:29 PM

    Stop with this nonsense rescue. Its a pick up service.

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    Mute John003
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 2:47 PM

    I think the Irish navy should help in the rescue but can’t see the refugees getting out of Italy which is already overloaded with asylum seekers None of the posts on this thread critical of the present policy would ever be allowed on RTE or Newstalk They would be seen as far right and racist

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    Mute John Fergus
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 2:49 PM

    Its open season for people smugglers as European navies are providing a taxi service. The pictures are reasonably accurate, just look at all the women and children……………oh wait there are none. All I see is young military age males.
    “It’s also a question of human kindness,” – Where was the human kindness for those raped and assaulted in Cologne, or for the families of those kill in terrorist attacks.
    The emotionally blackmailed bleeding heart liberals have enabled all of this.

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    Mute Buster VL
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 3:00 PM

    The Irish navy assisting people smugglers and encouraging those who will risk their own lives for the promise of future prosperity.
    The migrants should be returned to Libya.

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    Mute Ben McArthur
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 2:28 PM

    Simple plan:

    (1) Every boat that’s stopped, all the passengers are interrogated.
    (2) If they give useful information enabling a trafficker to be identified, they get preferential review for asylum.
    (3) If that information is good enough to secure the capture and conviction of a trafficker, they get to stay and get €100,000 for their trouble.
    (4) Everyone else gets dropped back in Libya.
    (5) The boat is scuttled.

    Now the traffickers have become a winning lottery ticket walking around. Greatly reduced financial incentive => less supply.

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    Mute Marlowemallow
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 6:12 PM

    @Ben McArthur: That’s pretty clever.

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    Mute Tomasz Kuchnik
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 4:04 PM

    Look at these poor fragile women and children in the picture, my heart bleeds we need to pump more money into bringing them in.

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    Mute Techni Myoko
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 6:00 PM

    I agree that you have a duty. But that means encouraging them to not make that trip in the first place by showing them it’s futile. Ie: return then from whence they came.

    So long as you keep bringing them to your country, you encourage them to make the dangerous trip, making you responsible for their deaths

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    Mute Marlowemallow
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    Dec 22nd 2016, 6:11 PM

    @Techni Myoko: Exactly. The road to hell really is paved with good intentions.

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