Members

Group8: Avatar social ethics design Activities

Members

Group leader
  • Yukiko NAKANO (Seikei University)
    Consortium management for avatar social ethics design and research on avatar communication
Principal investigator
  • Takayuki KANDA (Kyoto University)
    Research and development of moral computing
  • Minao KUKITA (Nagoya University)
    Moral behavior in CAs and humans
  • Harumichi YUASA (Meiji University)
    Study of the social implementation of avatars
  • Alberto Sanfeliu (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya)
    Cooperative Social PIA (Perception-Intention-Action) model for Cybernetics Avatars

Overview

This research project will be conducted on the study of the ethical and legal issues which arise when using Cybernetic Avatars, (CA), and the study of the behavioural framework of CA’s with an emphasis on the sociological aspects such as morality and culture.

This project will propose the development of CA’s in order to reduce the communication gaps caused by the differences between countries and their cultures. Moreover, this project will also focus on the research and development of ‘moral computing’, a function of CA’s which automatically converts the inappropriate behaviour of CA users into appropriate behaviour. In order to achieve this purpose, this project will engage in ethical and philosophical research on morality and cross-cultural issues, and consider the relevance of such research by establishing an Avatar Social Ethics Design Consortium. It is important for us to consider any privacy issues in the use of CA’s. Based on the ensuing deliberation, this project will also examine these privacy-related issues from a legal perspective and propose a new dimension of ‘Robot Law’ which will expand ‘Avatar Law’, thus determining clearly the social norms of future society worldwide. This research project will proceed in close co-operation with Group 7.

Goal

This research project will propose a framework of moral behaviour in CA use and in Avatar Law. The validity of these proposals will be evaluated by the Avatar Social Ethics Design Consortium, which will be composed of several companies and academics. Furthermore, a citizens' meeting organised by the Avatar Social Ethical Design Consortium will be held periodically to evaluate the moral outcomes of CA and Avatar Law, thus incorporating the vital opinions of the public at large.