The Laws of Robots

This book explores ways that robot technology may affect legal systems in matters of responsibility and agency in criminal law, contractual obligations and torts. Discusses robot soldiers in battle, robo-trading of securities and service robots in torts law.

This book explores how the design, construction, and use of robotics technology may affect today's legal systems and, more particularly, matters of responsibility and agency in criminal law, contractual obligations, and torts. By distinguishing between the behaviour of robots as tools of human interaction, and robots as proper agents in the legal arena, jurists will have to address a new generation of "hard cases." General disagreement may concern immunity in criminal law ( e. g. , the employment of robot soldiers in battle), personal accountability for certain robots in contracts ( e. g. , robo-traders), much as clauses of strict liability and negligence-based responsibility in extra-contractual obligations ( e. g. , service robots in tort law). Since robots are here to stay, the aim of the law should be to wisely govern our mutual relationships.

Table of Contants. - List of Figures. - List of Tables. - Preface. - Acknowledgments. - Introduction. - Chapter 1 - On Law, Philosophy and Technology. - Chapter 2 - Crimes. - Chapter 3 - Contracts. - Chapter 4 - Torts. - Chapter 5 - Law as Meta-Technology. - Conclusions. - References.