by Keyword: Ethics
Sample, Matthew, Boulicault, Marion, Allen, Caley, Bashir, Rashid, Hyun, Insoo, Levis, Megan, Lowenthal, Caroline, Mertz, David, Montserrat, Nuria, Palmer, Megan J., Saha, Krishanu, Zartman, Jeremiah, (2019). Multi-cellular engineered living systems: building a community around responsible research on emergence Biofabrication 11, (4), 043001 
Ranging from miniaturized biological robots to organoids, multi-cellular engineered living systems (M-CELS) pose complex ethical and societal challenges. Some of these challenges, such as how to best distribute risks and benefits, are likely to arise in the development of any new technology. Other challenges arise specifically because of the particular characteristics of M-CELS. For example, as an engineered living system becomes increasingly complex, it may provoke societal debate about its moral considerability, perhaps necessitating protection from harm or recognition of positive moral and legal rights, particularly if derived from cells of human origin. The use of emergence-based principles in M-CELS development may also create unique challenges, making the technology difficult to fully control or predict in the laboratory as well as in applied medical or environmental settings. In response to these challenges, we argue that the M-CELS community has an obligation to systematically address the ethical and societal aspects of research and to seek input from and accountability to a broad range of stakeholders and publics. As a newly developing field, M-CELS has a significant opportunity to integrate ethically responsible norms and standards into its research and development practices from the start. With the aim of seizing this opportunity, we identify two general kinds of salient ethical issues arising from M-CELS research, and then present a set of commitments to and strategies for addressing these issues. If adopted, these commitments and strategies would help define M-CELS as not only an innovative field, but also as a model for responsible research and engineering.
JTD Keywords: Ethics, Society, Governance, Emergence, Moral considerability, Responsible innovation
Arsiwalla, X. D., Freire, I. T., Vouloutsi, V., Verschure, P., (2019). Latent morality in algorithms and machines Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems 
8th International Conference, Living Machines 2019 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science) , Springer, Cham (Nara, Japan) 11556, 309-315
Can machines be endowed with morality? We argue that morality in the descriptive or epistemic sense can be extended to artificial systems. Following arguments from evolutionary game-theory, we identify two main ingredients required to operationalize this notion of morality in machines. The first, being a group theory of mind, and the second, being an assignment of valence. We make the case for the plausibility of these operations in machines without reference to any form of intentionality or consciousness. The only systems requirements needed to support the above two operations are autonomous goal-directed action and the ability to interact and learn from the environment. Following this we have outlined a theoretical framework based on conceptual spaces and valence assignments to gauge latent morality in autonomous machines and algorithms.
JTD Keywords: Autonomous systems, Ethics of algorithms, Goal-directed action, Philosophy of morality, Qualia, Theory of mind
Prescott, T. J., Verschure, P. F. M. J., (2018). Living machines: An introduction Living Machines: A Handbook of Research in Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems (ed. Prescott, T. J., Lepora, Nathan, Verschure, P.), Oxford Scholarship (Oxford, UK) , 3-14
Biomimetics is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of principles from the study of biological systems. Biohybrid systems are formed by at least one biological component—an already existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly engineered component. The development of either biomimetic or biohybrid systems requires a deep understanding of the operation of living systems, and the two fields are united under the theme of “living machines”—the idea that we can construct artifacts that not only mimic life but share some of the same fundamental principles. This chapter sets out the philosophy and history underlying this Living Machines approach and sets the scene for the remainder of this book.
JTD Keywords: Biohybrids, Biological principles, Biomimetics, History of technology, Living machines, Technology ethics
Prescott, T. J., Lepora, Nathan, Verschure, P., (2018). Living machines: A handbook of research in biomimetics and biohybrid systems Oxford Scholarship , 1-623
Biomimetics is the development of novel technologies through the distillation of ideas from the study of biological systems. Biohybrids are formed through the combination of at least one biological component—an existing living system—and at least one artificial, newly engineered component. These two fields are united under the theme of Living Machines—the idea that we can construct artifacts that not only mimic life but also build on the same fundamental principles. The research described in this volume seeks to understand and emulate life’s ability to self-organize, metabolize, grow, and reproduce; to match the functions of living tissues and organs such as muscles, skin, eyes, ears, and neural circuits; to replicate cognitive and physical capacities such as perception, attention, locomotion, grasp, emotion, and consciousness; and to assemble all of these elements into integrated systems that can hold a technological mirror to life or that have the capacity to merge with it. We conclude with contributions from philosophers, ethicists, and futurists on the potential impacts of this remarkable research on society and on how we see ourselves.
JTD Keywords: Novel technologies, Biomimetics, Biohybrids, Living systems, Living machines, Biological principles, Technology ethics, Societal impacts
