Abstract

With recent advancements in systems engineering and artificial intelligence, autonomous agents are increasingly being called upon to execute tasks that traditionally required human or social value-judgements or norms. These are tasks that directly—and potentially adversely—affect human well-being and demand of the agent a degree of normative sensitivity and compliance. Such norms and normative principles are typically of a social, legal, ethical, empathetic, or cultural (‘SLEEC’) nature.

These norms that agents must comply with are generally discussed in the abstract as high-level principles such as “respect for human autonomy” or “non-maleficence.” However, realistically addressing these concerns requires taking these abstract principles and formulating them into concrete particular rules that agents can follow. This can be tricky as a norm such as privacy can have different, and potentially contradictory requirements, when considering either its cultural or legal dimension, for example.

In my presentation, I will discuss research done by my colleagues and I to create a process for deriving specific rules from general norms. This proposed framework helps bridge the gap between abstract value-judgements about what is right and wrong and what agents actually do in practice – helping resolve potential conflicts between norms and develop actionable rules.

Speaker Bio

Gabriel Nemirovsky is a Ph.D. candidate within the philosophy department at the University of York. Previously, he served as a researcher at the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems, Resilience Node, collaborating closely with diverse stakeholders including industry, academia, government, and non-governmental organizations. As a researcher in the Resilience Node, Gabriel helped shape ethical frameworks for autonomous systems, underscoring his commitment to interdisciplinary excellence. Gabriel's academic pursuits are driven by a profound interest in the social impact of technological innovation, the economic dynamics of innovation, and political philosophy centered on justice and democratic engagement.