Rethinking backward-looking moral responsibility as care robots move toward superintelligence

Abstract The use of AI-based care robots raises numerous questions, including the attribution of responsibility. Although there is a wealth of work on the concept of responsibility in relation to AI-based systems, this article takes a new approach. It focuses on backward-looking moral responsibility for bad outcomes and super-intelligent care robots. The starting point is the presentation of realistic scenarios in which current care robots contribute to responsibility gaps. A distinction is made between forward-looking and backward-looking moral responsibility, with a focus on backward-looking moral responsibility for bad outcomes. Using hypothetical scenarios such as careful programmer , unlucky nurse , and robot mistake , it is shown that current robots do not fulfill central conditions (control, knowledge, intention) for moral responsibility. In such scenarios, however, the attribution of moral responsibility to human actors has to be seen as a burden. Afterward, super-intelligent care robots are examined. Such machines could not only fill responsibility gaps, but also actively contribute to the avoidance of bad outcomes. Approaches to collective or extended responsibility are discussed. Finally, it is argued that moral responsibility concerning super-intelligent care robots is not only possible but could be necessary in order to address moral responsibility adequately.