The Dawn of the AI Robots: Towards a New Framework of AI Robot Accountability

Abstract Business, management, and business ethics literature pay little attention to the topic of AI robots. The broad spectrum potential ethical issues pertains using driverless cars, robots in care homes, military, such as Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems. However, there is a scarcity in-depth theoretical, methodological, or empirical studies that address these issues, for instance, impact morality where accountability resides robots’ use. To this dearth, study offers conceptual framework interpretively develops implications robot applications, drawing on descriptive normative theory. new elaborates how locus (human agency) moral intensity combine within context-specific might influence thinking. Our theorization indicates situations escalating agency situational intensity, widely dispersed between actors institutions. ‘Accountability clusters’ are outlined illustrate interrelationships morality, invoke different categorical responses: (i) illegal, (ii) immoral, (iii) permissible, (iv) supererogatory pertaining These enable discussion robots, associated challenges constellation actors—from designer, individual/organizational users regulative approaches industrial/governmental bodies intergovernmental regimes.