Strawson’s take on moral responsibility applied to Intelligent Systems

Abstract

This essay investigates the attribution of responsibility to intelligent systems. It argues that more traditional approaches to the subject, mainly independent conditions theories, fail because they encounter some of the same problems that one encounters in attributing responsibility to human agents. A very different approach, namely Peter Strawson’s take on responsibility, is introduced and applied to intelligent systems. Strawson claims that theoretical considerations miss the point when we ponder the responsibility of human agents. He claims that we should understand assigning responsibility as part of the practice of human life. This claim is investigated and transferred to intelligent systems to see if it provides a more fruitful way to un- derstand responsibility of intelligent systems.