Robotics: A tool to grow the economy and to create jobs?

Will robots take over from humans in every aspect of life? 

A European Parliament report on robots calls for rules ethics, legal issues, and employment while encouraging the sector as a growth engine. The report which now goes before the full Parliament for approval includes wide-ranging issues about robotics, which include liability rules as well as ethical questions, safety and security among other things.

The report, approved by the Legal Affairs Committee, now goes to the full Parliament for a final vote. Therese Comodini Cachia, the politician currently representing Malta in the European Parliament said that the report strongly suggests that the development of robotics and what robots can do and should be able to do must be set within a framework of values.

“There is nothing we can do that could possibly stop the development in technology or robotics but let’s be very careful and clear about this: we don’t want to stop development in robotics or in technology. We just want to make sure that we do have the systems in place and we do have the regulations in place to see this development further” – explained the co-author of the report, Therese Comodini Cachia, for EPP TV.

She spoke after the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs approved the report to make robotics a tool to grow the economy and create jobs. Europe is a leader in industrial robotics, 25% of the global market, but there is also fear among the public of the impact.