Είναι τα ρομπότ ηλεκτρονικά πρόσωπα με δικαιώματα, υποχρεώσεις και ΑΦΜ;

ΠΗΓΗ: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ

Μπορεί το κράτος πρόνοιας στην Ευρώπη να μη βρίσκεται πια στις δόξες του, αλλά ορισμένοι Ευρωπαίοι πολιτικοί έχουν κάθε καλή διάθεση να το διευρύνουν περαιτέρω, θέτοντας κάτω από την «ομπρέλα» του και τα ρομπότ.

Σχέδιο ψηφίσματος που κατατέθηκε στο Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο, σύμφωνα με το πρακτορείο Reuters, ζητά να αναγνωρισθούν τα ρομπότ ως «ηλεκτρονικά πρόσωπα».

Αυτό πρακτικά, μεταξύ άλλων, θα σήμαινε ότι οι ιδιοκτήτες-εργοδότες της συνεχώς αυξανόμενης στρατιάς των ρομποτικών εργατών θα πρέπει να πληρώνουν και ασφαλιστικές εισφορές γι' αυτά.

Τα ρομπότ απασχολούνται σε ολοένα μεγαλύτερο βαθμό στα εργοστάσια και πέρα από αυτά, αντικαθιστώντας όλο και περισσότερους εργαζόμενους του δευτερογενούς (βιομηχανίες) και -σταδιακά- του τριτογενούς τομέα (υπηρεσίες).

Το σχέδιο ψηφίσματος από την επιτροπή νομικών υποθέσεων του Ευρωκοινοβουλίου ζητά να τεθούν σε νέα βάση όλα τα ζητήματα που αφορούν τα ρομπότ, από τη νομική υπόστασή τους έως τη φορολόγησή τους.

Όμως οι γερμανοί βιομήχανοι ήδη δήλωσαν ότι κάτι τέτοιο είναι πρόωρο καθώς το ζήτημα είναι περίπλοκο και είπαν ότι κάτι τέτοιο θα μπορούσε να υλοποιηθεί σε 50 χρόνια.

Το προτεινόμενο ψήφισμα, μεταξύ άλλων, αναφέρει ότι «τουλάχιστον στα πιο εξελιγμένα αυτόνομα ρομπότ θα πρέπει να δοθεί η ιδιότητα των ηλεκτρονικών προσώπων με συγκεκριμένα δικαιώματα και υποχρεώσεις».

Επίσης, προτείνει να υποχρεωθούν οι εταιρείες που απασχολούν ρομπότ, να δηλώνουν πόσα χρήματα εξοικονομούν σε ασφαλιστικές εισφορές, επειδή έχουν αντίστοιχα μειώσει το ανθρώπινο εργατικό δυναμικό τους.

Παραμένει πολύ αμφίβολο κατά πόσο το ψήφισμα θα εγκριθεί από την πλειοψηφία του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου. Σε κάθε περίπτωση, ακόμη κι αν γίνει δεκτό, δεν θα έχει δεσμευτική υπόσταση για τα κράτη.


Are robots electronic persons with rights and obligations?

Source: Reuters / CNBC
Europe's growing army of robot workers could be classed as "electronic persons" and their owners liable to paying social security for them if the European Union adopts a draft plan to address the realities of a new industrial revolution. 

Robots are being deployed in ever-greater numbers in factories and also taking on tasks such as personal care or surgery, raising fears over unemployment, wealth inequality and alienation.

Their growing intelligence, pervasiveness and autonomy requires rethinking everything from taxation to legal liability, a draft European Parliament motion, dated May 31, suggests.

Some robots are even taking on a human form. Visitors to the world's biggest travel show in March were greeted by a lifelike robot developed by Japan's Toshiba and were helped by another made by France's Aldebaran Robotics.

However, Germany's VDMA, which represents companies such as automation giant Siemens and robot maker Kuka, says the proposals are too complicated and too early.

German robotics and automation turnover rose 7 percent to 12.2 billion euros ($13.8 billion) last year and the country is keen to keep its edge in the latest industrial technology. Kuka is the target of a takeover bid by China's Midea.

The draft motion called on the European Commission to consider "that at least the most sophisticated autonomous robots could be established as having the status of electronic persons with specific rights and obligations".

It also suggested the creation of a register for smart autonomous robots, which would link each one to funds established to cover its legal liabilities.

Patrick Schwarzkopf, managing director of the VDMA's robotic and automation department, said: "That we would create a legal framework with electronic persons - that's something that could happen in 50 years but not in 10 years."

"We think it would be very bureaucratic and would stunt the development of robotics," he told reporters at the Automatica robotics trade fair in Munich, while acknowledging that a legal framework for self-driving cars would be needed soon.

The report added that robotics and artificial intelligence may result in a large part of the work now done by humans being taken over by robots, raising concerns about the future of employment and the viability of social security systems.

The draft motion, drawn up by the European parliament's committee on legal affairs also said organisations should have to declare savings they made in social security contributions by using robotics instead of people, for tax purposes.

Schwarzkopf said there was no proven correlation between increasing robot density and unemployment, pointing out that the number of employees in the German automotive industry rose by 13 percent between 2010 and 2015, while industrial robot stock in the industry rose 17 percent in the same period.

The motion faces an uphill battle to win backing from the various political blocks in European Parliament. Even if it did get enough support to pass, it would be a non-binding resolution as the Parliament lacks the authority to propose legislation.

Parliament fears robots will herald the end of humanity

Robots ‘could pose a challenge to humanity’s capacity to control its own creation.

’By Chris Spillane and Ryan Heath

The survival of humanity is at risk because of robots, some members of the European Parliament apparently believe. The Parliament’s committee on legal affairs lays out fears about the growing pace and use of automation and how the European Commission should prevent an uprising by robots with an intellect superior to humans, according to a draft of a committee report obtained by POLITICO.

“Ultimately there is a possibility that within the space of some decades [artificial intelligence] might surpass human intellectual capacity 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 its species,” the document shows.

The Commission is trying to promote research and job creation through the use of better and safer robots, which it believes will with alleviate challenges across healthcare, aging, transportation, security and energy. Robotics are part of the executive body’s plans to deliver a digital single market that seeks to break down barriers to internet and digital services among the EU’s 28 member nations. The report lays out a series of recommendations to the Commission on civil law rules on robotics.

The report is being guided through the legal affairs committee by MEP Mady Delvaux and stresses the impact robotics could have on future employment as well as the viability of Europe’s social security system. It also suggests if robots become self-aware then Asimov’s Laws, popularized in the movie “I, Robot,” should be of paramount importance to designers and operators of the machines.

Science fiction author Issac Asimov devised the three laws of robotics in his novels and stated that a robot may not injure a human or allow a human to be harmed, must obey orders by humans and must protect its own existence as long as it doesn’t breach the first two rules.

“The causes of concern also include physical safety, such as when a robot’s code proves fallible and the potential consequences of system failure or hacking of connected robots and robotic systems as increasingly autonomous applications are in use or impending, from cars and drones to care robots and robots used for maintaining public order and policing,” according to the document.

The report was drafted for rapporteur Delvaux, a socialist MEP from Luxembourg. Other parties have yet to give their opinion. The legal affairs committee will vote later this year.

Under the current legal framework, robots cannot be held liable for damage to third parties and therefore the framework requires updating, the document notes.

The Commission must consider “creating a specific legal status for robots, so that at least the most sophisticated autonomous robots can be established as having the status of electronic persons with specific rights and obligations,” the document says.


Authors:

Chris Spillane

and
Ryan Heath