Give robots an 'ethical black box' to track and explain decisions, say scientists

As robots start to enter public spaces and work alongside humans, the need for safety measures has become more pressing, argue academics

Robots should be fitted with an "ethical black box" to keep track of their decisions and enable them to explain their actions when accidents happen, researchers say.

The need for such a safety measure has become more pressing as robots have spread beyond the controlled environments of industrial production lines to work alongside humans as driverless cars, security guards, carers and customer assistants, they claim.