These days, robots and intelligent artificial control systems are becoming increasingly popular in various applications. Aircrafts have long been able to land themselves, driverless trains are common in major cities and robots soon will populate schools, hospitals, and they become regular items in our households. As technology advances, the need for establishing safety standards and ethical frameworks capable of regulating and providing guidance to the conditions of their safe and effective use becomes more and more pressing.

The University of Lisbon (the Centre of Philosophy and the Instituto Superior Técnico / Institute for Systems and Robotics) together with CLAWAR Association are organizing the International Conference on Robot Ethics. The conference aims to:

a) provide a multidisciplinary forum for discussing some of the most important safety and ethical problems that have been emerging in the distinct contexts where robotic technology is being used, contributing, this way, to the definition of progressively more accurate safety standards and fine-grained ethical frameworks.

b) provide an opportunity for the general public to know, come close and interact with the latest technological developments.

c) contribute to the development of public awareness of the potential benefits that robotic technology brings to various domains of our life.