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Machine Morality

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies

  • 9 Accesses

Synonyms

Algorithmic harm; Artificial heroism; Computational ethics; Ethical AI; Virtuous machines, computational morality

Definition

Machine morality focuses on ethical aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) in terms of ways in which algorithms, machines, and systems can be developed and deployed adhering to moral values and, depending on the degree of autonomy, exhibit some form of moral competence.

Introduction

Algorithms are all around us; yet, their pervasiveness and functionality are often opaque. In our everyday lives, algorithms – coalesced into artificial intelligence (AI) systems – shape the way we do our work, interact with others, and, in many respects, shape our view of reality. Unfortunately, these technologies are not all benevolent. In many cases, they are at least minimally exploitative, but they can also be directly harmful to the individuals and groups that use them.

Humans are generally exposed to AI when it is embedded in an everyday tool such as a phone or...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Chris Emmery & Travis J. Wiltshire

  2. Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Travis J. Wiltshire

Authors
  1. Chris Emmery
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  2. Travis J. Wiltshire
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chris Emmery .

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA

    Scott T. Allison

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Emmery, C., Wiltshire, T.J. (2023). Machine Morality. In: Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_317-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17125-3_317-1

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