Ethical Aspects

MODERATION: Simon Hoher, FH Salzburg and Alexander Numrich, GMAR

Speaker: Nicole van Geel

As robotics and AI systems become increasingly autonomous and embedded in our daily lives, questions of machine ethics - such as responsibility, transparency, and moral agency - are no longer theoretical. How can we ensure that collaborative robots and intelligent systems act in ways that align with human values? While numerous ethical guidelines exist, they often remain abstract and difficult to implement in engineering practice. This session brings together experts from academia, industry, and education to explore both the fundamental questions of machine ethics and practical strategies for embedding ethics into robotics and automation. Following a short keynote, participants will engage in an interactive discussion on governance models, new professional roles, and actionable tools for responsible innovation.