CEVAST is a new hope for technology ethics, says Forbes magazine
20. 09. 2019
The Karel Čapek Center for Values in Science and Technology (CEVAST), formed last year under the Czech Academy of Sciences, is quickly gaining a reputation of a foremost European institution dealing with emerging issues in technology ethics. Most recently, Forbes magazine has taken notice of CEVAST, praising it for „immediately convening important meetings in artificial intelligence and robot ethics“ and calling it “a new hope in Prague.”
The Center, bearing a name of the legendary Czech writer who invented the word “robot,” was established in October 2018 as a mutual effort of three institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Institute of Philosophy, Institute of State and Law, Institute of Computer Science) and the Faculty of Science at Charles University. Besides the ethics of robots, the Center deals, for example, with issues connected with autonomous vehicles, i.e. self-driving cars.
Forbes magazine has now conducted an in-depth interview with the Center’s co-founders, philosophers David Černý and Tomáš Hříbek, who discussed, for example, ethical dilemmas that need to be solved before self-driving vehicles are put to use, differences between European and American approaches to the ethics of autonomous driving, as well as the future plans of the Centre.
The whole article with the interview can be freely accessed here.
Original Czech text prepared by: Milan Pohl and Markéta Růžičková, Department of Media Communication of the Head Office of the CAS
Photo: Storyblocks.com
Read also
- Evolution, alive and well. What lies at the heart of biodiversity?
- From an evolutionary POV, vision has a great benefit–cost ratio, researcher says
- Badminton buzz: Tournament draws 76 athletes from the Academy’s institutes
- Unique reproductive strategy confirmed in another frog species in Moravia
- Hydrochemist Martin Pivokonský on how to improve water and wastewater treatment
- Involved in groundbreaking research, Ukrainian archeologist now works at the CAS
- The first human presence in Europe securely dated to 1.4 million years ago
- The CAS visited by chess grandmaster and Russian opposition activist Kasparov
- The CAS will support scientists whose research is at risk in their home country
- Unravelling the mystery of biodiversity – with a little help from the fruit fly
The Czech Academy of Sciences (the CAS)
The mission of the CAS
The primary mission of the CAS is to conduct research in a broad spectrum of natural, technical and social sciences as well as humanities. This research aims to advance progress of scientific knowledge at the international level, considering, however, the specific needs of the Czech society and the national culture.
President of the CAS
Prof. Eva Zažímalová has started her second term of office in May 2021. She is a respected scientist, and a Professor of Plant Anatomy and Physiology.
She is also a part of GCSA of the EU.