Date

Topic

Reading for
Class Discussion (Read PRIOR to Class)

Assignment

Jan 8

Introduction I (slides)

 Robot Ethics – The Economist

Jan 10

Introduction II/Ethical Foundations I

Robo Sapiens (RS), Introduction

Why the future doesn't need us (Bill Joy)

A Robot in Every Home (Bill Gates)

Jan 15

Ethical Foundations II

Introduction to Ethics Article (Class Handout)

Moral Machines (MM), Chapter 1

In class exercise 1

Jan 17

Ethical Foundations III (slides)

A survey

Digital People (DP), Chapter 1

Jan 22

Argumentation (slides)

Using the Toulmin Model

DP, Chapter 2

HWK #1: Introduction to Ethics

DUE 1/31

Jan 24

Asimov's Laws (slides)

MM, pp. 91-99

Three laws and Metaethics

Beyond Asimov

Uncanny Valley

In class exercise 2

Term paper assignment #1 out

 DUE 2/7

Jan 29

Defense: Killer Applications

RS, Remote Possibilities

Military Robots and Ethics

Armed Robot Operations 

Jan 31

Defense II (slides)

RS, Serious Fun

Review of Code with explanation of the 4 regulatory forces (Focus on section titled 'What Regulates and How’)

 HW #1 DUE!

HWK# 2 OUT: DUE  2//19

Feb 5

Robots and Privacy (slides)

Socio-ethics (Read at least sections 3 and 5)

Security and Privacy

 In class exercise 3

Feb 7

Entertainment/Companion Robots

(slides)

 If you kick a robotic dog, is it wrong?

The March of the Robot Dogs

Do People really want Robots?

Dangers

Where are they?

TP#1 DUE!

Feb 12

Medical and Assistive Robotics

Robots and Rehabilitation

Robots and Autism

Exoskeletons

Feb 14

Cyborgs (slides)

Brains and Robots

Implant tumors

Mind reading

In class exercise 4

Feb 19

Robots and Jobs (slides)

RS, Workmates

World Robotics Summary

Droids take your jobs

Robots and the Workforce

HW #2 DUE!

Term paper Outline and

Debate Topics

(BOTH DUE 3/7)

Feb 21

Lab Tour 

Meet at TSRB LOBBY 9:30AM

MM, Chapter 3

RS, Electric Dreams

Feb 26

Midterm Exam

Feb 28

Religion and Robots I

DP, Chapter 4

Robot: Child of God

Technoethics

March 5

Religion and Robots II (slides)

DP, Chapter 5

Commander Data: A Candidate for Harvard Divinity School?

March 7

Sexual Activity and Robots I

 DP, Chapter 8

Legal Implications of Intimacy with Machines

OUTLINE AND DEBATE TOPICS DUE!

Term Paper (DUE 4/23)

Homework #3

DUE 11:59 PM Wednesday before 3/28

March 12

Sexual Activity and Robots II (slides)

Robot Prostitutes

Robot Sex Tourism

March 14

Social and Cultural Distinctions I

DP, Chapter 7

Who is Afraid?

Culture in Neuro-robotics

Debate Assignments

(Due 4/11)

March 19
March 21

Spring Break

March 26

Social and Cultural Distinctions II

(slides)

Cultural Acceptance: West versus Japan

Cross-cultural Robot Design

March 28

Intelligent Beings I (aka The Singularity)

DP, Chapter 9,

I … am a Robot

Student presentations

April 2

Intelligent Beings II

MM, Chapter 4

Ethical Treatment of Robots

Student presentations

April 4

Intelligent Beings III

RS, Robo Sapiens

MM, Chapter 12

Student presentations

April 9

Guest Lecture (Ryan Kerwin)

Robots in the wild (slides)

Predator robot

When robots go wild

Watchful wild robots

April 11

Debates I

Student debates

All debate documents for all debates are due at the beginning of class 4/11.

April 16

Debates II

Student debates

April 18

Debates III

Student debates

April 23

Guest Lecture (Prof. Isbell)

TERM PAPER DUE!  

April 25

Professional Ethics (slides)

 Using the new ACM code of Conduct for Decision Making

ACM Code of Conduct

IEEE Code of Conduct

IEEE Plagiarism

AUVSI Code of Conduct

Out: Take-Home Exam

Oral Schedule

April 30 8AM

Final Exam

FINAL EXAM 

Exam Schedule