I, Drone: the ethics of killer robots

Summary

Drawing inspiration from robots in science fiction and the real world, this workshop explores the ethics of automating warfare.

Learners will find out about Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics and ask themselves, what rules would they give to powerful robots?

Explore the ethics of armed drones that can "think" by themselves

• Design your own robot and think about what abilities an laws you would give it

• Learn about the development if robots in reality and in popular culture

• Learn to use modal verbs to write clear rules/instructions

• Practise critical thinking and talking about moral questions

Age range: 8-14 (for older students, try “Do Drones have a Licence to kill?”)

Duration: 2 hours

Resources:

• Access to the internet and a screen to show online videos is helpful

• Art and design materials for designing (or making!) your robot