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Robotics and automation: Legal policy and ethical implications

Tuesday, 08 November 2022

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  • Associate Professor Joshua Aston and Law Assembly panel members Dr Martin Allcock, David Wilson, Minister Alannah MacTiernan and Minister Bill Johnston. Red Robot joined as a prop not yet having replaced the human presenters!

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The world of robotics and automation is well and truly already here with the field continuing to advance at an exciting and for some, daunting, pace.

The 2022 ECU Law Assembly focussed on the legal policy and ethical implications of this evolving area.

The panellists were WA Government Ministers Hon Alannah MacTiernan MLC and Hon Bill Johnston MLA along with David Wilson, Principal at Stratocumulus Legal and Dr Martin Allcock from ECU.

The presentations all highlighted the complexity of the issue.

Speaker David Wilson, for example, used AI to create the slide for his presentation; work that would normally be subject to copyright.  However, as he pointed out, at this time only individuals have copyright rights - not inanimate objects.

While acknowledging that there is a need for clarity in the legislation to safeguard society, panellists favoured the view that the key aim of future public policy would be to determine the need for such protection and its ethics.

The lively discussions between the panel members were the highlight of the event with one attendee commenting that the session had been very thought provoking.

The ECU Law Assembly is a forum organised by the School of Business and Law for law academics, researchers, policy makers and industry to engage in a collaborative dialogue on exigent, complex and critical areas in the fields of law.

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