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Noel Sharkey

By: Braden Carei

Noel Sharkey has explored many disciplines throughout his career. He has experience in psychology, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, computer science, engineering and robotics[3]. Sharkey has a PhD in psychology/cognitive science from Exeter University and also has an honorary DSc[3]. He is a professor of AI and Robotics and a Professor of Public Engagement at the University of Sheffield[1]. In the media, he makes frequent appearances as a robot expert. Sharkey His current passion is research into the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Sharkey spent many years doing research within the fields of Artificial Intelligence and robotics. He says, “I was a pretty standard professor of robotics and artificial intelligence for a long time… about 2007 a journalist asked me some questions about military robots and I knew nothing about them.”[4]. However, as his knowledge of robotics and AI grew he moved towards their ethical applications in different fields, such as military, child care, elder care, policing, surveillance, medicine/ surgery, education and criminal/terrorist activity [1]. The big focuses for Sharkey from this list are child and elder care, and military applications[2].

When it comes topic child and elder caring robots, Sharkey notes that there are are different levels of sophistication for these robots[2]. He does predict that soon there will be fully autonomous robots that can complete all of the tasks needed for care[2]. The problem with the autonomous care robots is the lack of research into the psychological effects of long term exposure to and bonding with the robots[2]. Sharkey states that there are no international or national laws that exist for these robots[2]. The use of such robots could also lead to leaving young children and elderly exclusively in the care of robots[2].

Sharkey’s eyes were opened to the use of robotics in military applications in 2005[3]. He spent many months after this researching these applications and was shocked by the ideas for autonomous killing machines[3]. Sharkey fears that the use of autonomous killing machines will lead to unintentional or unneeded wars[3]. For a nation, without the threat of losing the lives of soldiers there is nothing to lose[3]. He thinks that without regulation, autonomous fighting machines could start a new arms race[4]. Sharkey is one of the founding members of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, which was started with the intention of getting national governments to discuss the use of lethal autonomous weapons[3]. One of his biggest concerns is with the machines’ ability to distinguish between the enemy targets and civilians[4]. He hopes that the work he’s done with the United Nation’s Human Rights Council will successfully motivate the passing of laws that ban these robots in all circumstances[4].

Noel Sharkey’s experience in many diverse fields gives him a unique view of the ethics of Artificial Intelligence. His knowledge of the fields of robotics and AI have lead him to become an activist and now advocates for the regulation of all autonomous devices that are to interact with humans[2]. He is a great supporter of the humanitarian efforts that are taken on by autonomous machines[4]. Sharkey hopes to see the use of these robots to help humanity and not hurt it[4].