The rights of robots. Technology, culture and law in the 21st century

The development of robots and their emerging rights will have significant impact on judicial and criminal systems and on the philosophical and political worldviews of our social institutions. This article places the definition of rights and of what is 'alive' in a historical and cultural context, and reviews the developments in and prospects for artificial intelligence (AI). It argues that such advances will change our perceptions to such a degree that robots may have legal rights. It examines how such rights might emerge, and which legal issues may be involved. © 1988