Carlotta Rigotti at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation 2024
On 13 May 2024, Carlotta Rigotti took the stage at WOROBET 2024, a workshop dedicated to robot ethics, which was part of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation 2024 in Yokohama (Japan). Her presentation was titled "Ensuring sexual safety in human-machine interactions," based on a paper co-authored with Eduard Fosch-Villaronga.
The presentation focused on the regulation of sex robots, a topic fraught with legal ambiguity. Carlotta briefly examined potential classifications for these human-like machines within existing regulatory frameworks, such as the AI Act and various international standards. In this context, she highlighted the critical yet often overlooked principle of sexual safety, encompassing both freedom from sexual violence and health risks. Carlotta’s presentation culminated in actionable recommendations aimed at addressing these concerns. These suggestions included the development of consent-based safe-use guidelines to mitigate health risks and the prioritization of user safety in design considerations. The overarching goal was to cultivate a more nuanced understanding of intimacy in human-machine interactions and provide guidance for its future development.
For those eager to delve deeper into this topic, Carlotta and Eduard will soon publish their research findings, promising further insights into the complex intersection of technology, ethics, and sexual safety.
See the websites from IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation 2024 and WOROBET 2024 for more information about the conference and the workshop.