Robots, Robotics, and the Law

This paper will explore the critical issues of robots, robotics, and legal liability. It will approach this topic by using Asimov’s Three Laws of Robots and then proceed by examining how the existing areas of civil law like contracts, torts and agency will approach adjudicating claims brought against robots. The first question to be considered is whether a robot has autonomy like a human being to engage in voluntary acts or is a robot a programable machine owned and controlled by humans. Does a robot know the difference between right and wrong? These are critical ethical considerations necessary for any discussion about legal liability. Since this is an evolving and dynamic area of comparative law, it should be a stimulating discussion that challenges many assumptions and stretches our imaginations.