Moral issues concerning artificial subjects

A focus on empirical psychological research on robots and religion

Abstract

This presentation will discuss the importance of developmental and cultural backgrounds on moral attitudes towards robots from the perspective of empirical psychology, based on previous findings. Specifically, we will present two studies that we conducted. The first study demonstrates that attitudes towards the use of robots in the social domain vary with age. The second study shows that cultural background, particularly religious background, influences moral considerations towards robots. Together, we will discuss how empirical psychological studies can contribute to the theme of "Towards an Ideal Coexistence of Humans and AI."