# Towards Moral Autonomous Systems

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.04741 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1703.04741/

## Key facts

- Cited by 7 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 14 Mar 2017.

## Built on by (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [Explanations in Autonomous Driving: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.05154/) (2021)
- [Have a break from making decisions, have a MARS: The Multi-valued Action Reasoning System](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.03283/) (2021)
- [The social dilemma in artificial intelligence development and why we have to solve it](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.12977/) (2021)
- [Collaborative filtering to capture AI user's preferences as norms](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.02542/) (2023)
- [AI Risk Skepticism](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.02704/) (2021)
- [Future Intelligent Autonomous Robots, Ethical by Design. Learning from Autonomous Cars Ethics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.08122/) (2021)
- [On a Functional Definition of Intelligence](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.09546/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Both the ethics of autonomous systems and the problems of their technical implementation have by now been studied in some detail. Less attention has been given to the areas in which these two separate concerns meet. This paper, written by both philosophers and engineers of autonomous systems, addresses a number of issues in machine ethics that are located at precisely the intersection between ethics and engineering. We first discuss the main challenges which, in our view, machine ethics posses to moral philosophy. We them consider different approaches towards the conceptual design of autonomous systems and their implications on the ethics implementation in such systems. Then we examine problematic areas regarding the specification and verification of ethical behavior in autonomous systems, particularly with a view towards the requirements of future legislation. We discuss transparency and accountability issues that will be crucial for any future wide deployment of autonomous systems in society. Finally we consider the, often overlooked, possibility of intentional misuse of AI systems and the possible dangers arising out of deliberately unethical design, implementation, and use of autonomous robots.