Robots with Moral Status?

Abstract

Assuming robots of the future will be far more advanced than their present-day forebears, it is not premature to ask what they will have to be like in order to have moral status. This article first examines criteria for moral status, criticizing several models before briefly defending an interest-based account. It next investigates the epistemological challenge of applying criteria for moral status to robots, before eliciting implications with attention to basic moral status, rights, and respect for autonomy. The article concludes with reflections on species-based prejudice and an acute practical dilemma that will confront robotics.