Activities of Notis MARIAS related to 2015/2103(INL)
Plenary speeches (1)
Civil Law Rules on Robotics (debate) EL
Amendments (59)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas ageing is the result of an increased life expectancy due to major progress in modern medicine, and is one of the greatest social and economic challengeachievements of the 21st century for European societies; whereas by 2025 more than 20% of Europeans will be 65 or over, with a particularly rapid increase in numbers of over 80s;
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas robotics canould play a role in transforming our society for the better; whereas robotics and artificial intelligence can lead to innovations and new business models, and the Union must embrace developments in this area to advance the DSM;
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the Protocol (No 1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union on the role of national Parliaments in the European Union,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
- having regard to Protocol (No 2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality,
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. Whereas the development of robotics will bringis expected to have positive effects for the European Union economy but also for; whereas, however, it is uncertain how it will affect the daily life of individuals; whereas all robotics and artificial intelligence technology have to be developed and used with due regard for the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR), in particular for the rights of data protection, privacy, liberty and security;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. tTakes the view that the impact of automated vehicles on enhancing transport safety might potentially be a major one, since human errors are currently responsible for about 90% of road accidents; notes however that it will be impossible for automated vehicles to eliminate all accidents, which raises questions of responsibility for car accidentsshould be further studied following the many accidents they have caused;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas societies and health systems will need to adapt tokeep pace with the ageing process and elderly healthcare requirements, so they can provide adequate care and remtain financially sustainablethe necessary degree of financial stability;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. Whereas the widespread and increasingly frequent use of robotics and artificial intelligence has undoubtedly provoked a variety of reactions and objections;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Bα. whereas the prevalence of robotics and AI and their increasingly widespread applications have provoked a variety of reactions and objections;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the digital transformation of European manufacturing industry, which accounts for 15% of EU GDP, could have a value-added potential of EUR 1.25 trillion in 20251,and the adoption of autonomous and robotic technologies could result in a competitive advantage for Europe ; __________________ 1 STOA, Scientific Foresight Study, Annex 1, p. 37.
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas such systems will provide the foundation and the basis of emerging and future smart services, and willshould bring advances in personalised health care, emergency response and telemedicine;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that robotics plays a key role in improving the competitiveness and productivity of the European economy; calls on the Commission to promote a pro- innovation policy in robotics, facilitating integration of technologies in value chains, and to assess the need to modernise legislation or develop European guidelines to ensure a joint approach in robotics, essential for companies to scale up in Europe;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas in the short to medium term robotics and AI promise to bring benefits of efficiency and savings, not only in production and commerce, but also in areas such as transport, medical care, education and farming, while making it possible to avoid exposing humans to dangerous conditions, such as those faced when cleaning up toxically polluted sites; whereas in the longer term there is potential for virtually unbounded prosperity;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the widespread and increasingly frequent use of robotics and AI has unmistakably provoked a variety of reactions and objections;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that robotics and artificial intelligence, especially those with built-in autonomy and the possibility of self- learning, should be subjected to the primary robotics laws or principles, such as a principle that a robot may do not harm to a human being and must obey a human being; these principles should also be in compliance with the rights and principles enshrined in the CFR, in particular human dignity, the respect for and protection of private and family life, the protection of personal data, the freedom of expression and information, equality and non- discrimination, solidarity, and citizens’ rights and justice;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. acknowledges that the adoption of new technologies in the field of healthcare is likelyexpected to bring major benefits in terms of patient care and effectiveness of treatment, leading to increased quality of life and life expectancy;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. education must pave the way for the next generation to be able to live fully productive lives in a world which willmay be changed by robotisation and automation;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that innovation in robotics and artificial intelligence require digital infrastructure that provides ubiquitous connectivity; calls on the Commission to set a framework that will meet the connectivity requirements for the Union’s digital future, while respecting the environment, public health and the principle of personal data protection;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that harmonised standardisation for robotics is necessarylegitimate and calls on the Commission to engage with international standardisation bodies to work further on improving standards in this field;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. underlines that innovation providing better diagnoses and better insights into treatment, care and rehabilitation options leads to more accurate medical decisions, quicker recovery times, and could therefore alleviate shortages of healthcare professionals in care and rehabilitation processes;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the widespread and increasingly frequent use of robotics and AI has unmistakably provoked a variety of reactions and objections;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. notes that CPS are able to change the life of people suffering from a disability, as smart technologies can be used for prevention, assistance, monitoring and companionshipetc.;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. cCalls on the Commission and Member States to conduct furthermore extensive and in-depth research to assess the safety and environmental implications of automated vehicles, and invites them to create a knowledge-sharing system to record the outcomes of tests and pilot schemes;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. an answer must be found to the question of what provisions might be necessary in terms of the competitiveness of the labour force if thethe attempt to turn the human in general and the human body in particular into a tool must be prevented; any attempt to genetically modify humans must be strictly forbidden; in particular, any attempt to permanently artificially or genetically development or supplementing of and enhance existing human capabilities results in people with extraordinary abilities, thereby altering the meaning of the term 'disability' and conferring an unassailable advantage on people with access to such tools and interventionswith a view to creating more productive meta-humans must be forbidden;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that robots developed for both manufacturing and individual use should be subject to product safety and consumer protection rules; believes that issues of personal data protection, liability and cybersecurity should be addressed in any policy on robotics;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas, more specifically, the causes for concern also include physical safety, for example when a robot's code proves fallible, and the potential consequences of system failure or hacking of connected robots and robotic systems at a time when increasingly autonomous applications come into use or are impending whether it be in relation to cars and drones or to care robots and robots used for maintaining public order and policing;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. underlines that elder care robot research and development has grown more mainstream and cheaper, producing products with greater functionality and broader consumer acceptance; notes the wide range of applications of such technologies providing prevention, assistance, monitoring and companionship and other services to elderly people, ands well as people suffering from dementia;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the main concern is the alienation of human nature itself from the unconditional – beyond the financial gain that may be derived – development of robotics adopted, unfortunately, by most industry professionals; whereas internationally acknowledged scholars such as Steven Hawking have expressed objections regarding the development of technical intelligence;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that the free flow of data is a basis for the digital economy and is essential for the development of robotics; highlights that high security of robotics and artificial intelligence systems as a whole, including their internal data systems and data flows, is crucial for the adequate utilisation of robots and artificial intelligence; stresses that a highparticularly high and effective level of safety, security and privacy of data used for the communication between people and robots and artificial intelligence, together with high quality of voice recognition systems, has to be ensured; calls on the Commission and Member States to support and incentivise the development of the necessary technology, including security by design and channels of communication;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recognises that robotics and AI technologies are increasingly used in autonomous vehicles; notes that some Member States are already enacting or considering legislation in this area in particular; stresses that overregulation in robotics and robotic systems should be avoided, and calls instead for future-proof minimum harmonisation, especially in relation to autonomous vehicles.;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the ‘soft impacts’ on human dignity may be difficult to estimate, but will still need to be considered if and when robots replace human care and companionship, and whereas questions of human dignity can also arise in the context of ‘repairing’ or enhancing human beings;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. uUnderlines that automated cars will require a particularly safe and high level of safe interaction with the transport infrastructure and that the high volume of data will need to be securely transferred in real time between automated vehicles and such infrastructure;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. points out that, whilst robotics and artificial intelligence promise real advantages in the short and medium term in terms of effectiveness and economy not only for production and trade but also in areas where human intelligence hitherto meant there were only humans (whose work will be increasingly unnecessary), there is a danger of the number of jobs in the field of robotics not increasing to match the number of jobs which are expected to be lost;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4α. Acknowledges that the unconsidered development of robotics and AI could engender serious social and economic dangers; calls on the Union and the Member States to seek a structured public debate concerning the implications of these technological developments as soon as possible and urges those involved in robotics and AI research to provide constructive input through a critical approach to their field of study;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas ultimately there is a possibility that within the space of a few decades AI could surpass human intellectual capacity to some degree in a manner which, if not prepared for, could pose a challenge to humanity's capacity to control its own creation and, consequently, perhaps also to its capacity to be in charge of its own destiny and to ensure the survival of the species;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls, therefore, as a matter of urgency, for a rigorous and effective EU framework to be established that will restrict the use of electronic remote- controlled aerial systems and unmanned aircraft;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to launch an in-depth study into the immediate implications of the increasing use of robotics at the workplace and to seek adoption of the necessary framework legislative provisions, so as to make the transition as smooth as possible for workers affected.
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to launch an in-depth study into the future implications of the increasing use of automated transport at the workplace and to seek adoption of the necessary framework legislative provisions, so as to make the transition as smooth as possible for workers affected, thereby ensuring the protection of jobs;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that appropriate legislation should be accompanied by encouragement of a soft law framework,a code of conduct for public-private partnerships, in order to ensure the cooperation of the industry and robotic designers with public authorities; believes that such instruments should focus on practical solutions to ensure privacy and data protection, the security and ethics of the robotics industry, and the proper use of robots and artificial intelligence on a daily basisrelations; believes that such instruments should focus on practical solutions to ensure privacy and data protection;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Acknowledges that the unconsidered development of automated systems could engender serious social and economic dangers; calls on the Union and the Member States to seek a structured public debate with the direct involvement of civil society concerning the implications of these technological developments as soon as possible; urges those involved in research into the automatisation of transport to provide constructive input through a critical approach to their field of study;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. points outemphasises that while the development of technology is increasing exponentially, our social systems cannot respond as quickly, and healthcare systems have an even slower response; stresses that these discoveries have a significant impact on civilisation as we know it, and that it is therefore imperative to assess the moral and ethical implications of new technologies in the early phase ofbefore and throughout their development;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas the European Union couldght to play an essential role in establishing basic ethical principles to be respected in the development, programming and use of robots and AI and in the incorporation of such principles into European regulations and codes of conduct, with the aim of shaping the technological revolution so that it serves humanity and so that the benefits of advanced robotics and AI are broadly shared, while as far as possible avoiding potential pitfalls for humanity;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. an answer must be found to the question of which areas might see restrictions or a ban on total automation in order to safeguard employment levels, taking into account demographic changes and sustainability and any unintended social consequences...; calls on the Member States and the Commission to study in great detail the near-future consequences of the increased use of robotic systems on labour and to provide a framework for this development with legislation designed to make technological transition as smooth as possible for employees;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5a (new)
Paragraph 5a (new)
5a. calls on the EU and the Member States to encourage the initiation of a structured public dialogue on the consequences of developing those technologies as soon as possible; calls on the stakeholders involved in the research in the robotics and artificial intelligence sectors to develop a critical approach towards the objects of their research and to provide a constructive feed to the public dialogue;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Safety of medical robotic devices is a precondition for their introduction in the healthcare sector. The effectiveness and safety of care and medical robots should be assessed against special safety safeguards and certification procedures, with special attention given to their use by impaired users or in emergency situations; particular attention should be paid to the security of CPS networks so as to remove any possibility of hacking into and stealing sensitive personal data;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Medical CPS and the use of a robot as an “electronic health record” raise questions concerning laws on patient privacy, medical professional secrecy, and data protection in the area of public health. Union data protection rules should be adapted to take into account the increasing complexity and interconnectivity of care and medical robots possibly handling highly sensitive personal information and health data. The codes of conduct on medical professional secrecy should be reviewed concerning the health data stored on CPS systems that can be accessed by third parties;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital T
Recital T
T. whereas, ultimately, robots’' autonomy raises the question of their nature in the light of the existing legal categories – of whether they should be regarded as natural persons, legal persons, animals or objects – or whether a new category should be created, with its own specific features and implications as regards the attribution of rights and duties, including liability for damage;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that many robotic applications are still in an experimental phase; welcomes the fact that more and more research projects are being funded with national and European money; calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen financial instruments for research projects in robotics and ICT; emphasises that sufficient resources need to be devoted to the search for solutions to the social and ethical challenges that theevery technological development and its applications raise;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses the need to prevent attempts to turn the human in general and the human body in particular into a tool; stresses the need to prohibit definitively any attempt to permanently artificially or genetically develop or enhance existing human abilities with a view to creating more productive meta-humans;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the potential for empowerment of robotics has risks connected with the definition of human nature; notes, in addition, that the potential for empowerment through the use of robotics is nuanced by a set of tensions or risks relating to human safety, privacy, integrity, dignity, autonomy and data ownership; stresses that safeguarding humanity from the above-mentioned risks must be a precondition for the development of robotics;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to encourage the initiation of a structured public dialogue on the consequences of developing those technologies as soon as possible; calls on the stakeholders involved in the research and development of the robotics and artificial intelligence sectors to develop a critical approach towards the objects of their research and to feed in to the public dialogue constructively;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that the potential of and the problems connected with robotics use and the present investment dynamics justify the European Agency being equipped with a proper budget and being staffed with regulators and external technical and ethic, primarily, ethical and moral experts dedicated to the cross-sectorial and multidisciplinary monitoring of robotics- based applications, identifying standards for best practice, and, where appropriate, recommending regulatory measures, defining new principles and addressing potential consumer protection issues and systematic challenges; asks the Commission and the European Agency to report to the European Parliament on the latest developments in robotics on an annual basis;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Points out that the use of personal data as a 'currency' with which services can be 'bought' raises new issues in need of clarification; stresses that the use of personal data as a 'currency' must not lead to a circumvention of the basic principles governing the right to privacy and data protectionStresses that the use of personal data as a 'currency' must be prohibited;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out that human contact is one of the fundamental aspects of human care; believes that replacing the human factor with robots could dehumanise caring practices, and that it is therefore not legitimate;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes the great potential of robotics in the field of repairing and compensating for damaged organs and human functions, but also the complex questions raised in particular by the possibilities of human enhancement; asks for the establishment of appropriately staffed committees on robot ethics in hospitals and other health care institutions tasked with considering and assisting in resolving unusual, complicated ethical problems involving issues that affect the care and treatment of patients; calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop guidelines to aid in the establishment and functioning of such committees;