Machine Ethics Research: Promises and Potential Pitfalls

How should machines treat people? What would it take to develop an ethical machine? These questions were the focus of a 2006 special issue, as well as the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence 2005 Fall Symposium on Machine Ethics. Since then, ethical issues surrounding AI and data analytics-lately referred to by the umbrella term FATE: Fairness, Accountability, Transparency and Ethics-have captured the attention of researchers and practitioners working in broad areas. We reflect on how ethics research has evolved, highlighting key points of progress, but also noting some possible challenges and pitfalls that we must bear in mind.