The development of every new technology raises questions that we, as individuals and as a society, need to address. Will this technology help me become the person that I want to be? Or that I should be? How will it affect the principle of treating everyone in our society fairly? Does the technology help our community advance our shared values?

This section contains four questions examining robotics and ethics. Each question contains audio responses collected from researchers, scientists, labor leaders, artists, and others. In addition, an online discussion area is provided to allow anyone to post their own comments or to respond to the questions. If you would like to respond to a question or listen and respond to the collected audio responses, click on a question below.

If in the future machines have the ability to reason, be self-aware and have feelings, then what makes a human being a human being, and a robot a robot? Listen to responses

If you could have a robot that would do any task you like, a companion to do all the work that you prefer not to, would you? And if so, how do you think this might affect you as a person? Listen to responses

Are there any kind of robots that shouldn't be created? Or that you wouldn't want to see created? Why? Listen to responses

Automation and the development of new technologies like robots is viewed by most people as inevitable. But many workers who lose their jobs consider this business practice unfair. Do you think the development of new technologies, and their implementation, is inevitable? What, if anything, should we as a society do for those people who lose their jobs? Listen to responses

	Tom Shanks, Ph.D. of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

If you'd like to learn more about these ethical questions you can listen* to Tom Shanks, Ph.D., Director of Business and Public Policy Programs at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. More information about ethical decision making can be found in the document, A Framework For Ethical Decision Making, developed by the Markkula Center.

*Audio requires QuickTime