Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34805290›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in robotics and AI2021

Robot Evolution: Ethical Concerns.

Ágoston E Eiben, Jacintha Ellers, Gerben Meynen, Sven Nyholm

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in robotics and AI, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Evolvable AI: Threats of a new major transition in evolution.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Ágoston E EibenDepartment of Computer Science and Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Jacintha EllersDepartment of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Gerben MeynenDepartment of Philosophy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Sven NyholmDepartment of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Utrecht University · NLVrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Rapid developments in evolutionary computation, robotics, 3D-printing, and material science are enabling advanced systems of robots that can autonomously reproduce and evolve. The emerging technology of robot evolution challenges existing AI ethics because the inherent adaptivity, stochasticity, and complexity of evolutionary systems severely weaken human control and induce new types of hazards. In this paper we address the question how robot evolution can be responsibly controlled to avoid safety risks. We discuss risks related to robot multiplication, maladaptation, and domination and suggest solutions for meaningful human control. Such concerns may seem far-fetched now, however, we posit that awareness must be created before the technology becomes mature.

Indexed as

ethicsevolutionary designevolutionary roboticsmeaningful human controlmorphological robot evolutionreal-world robot evolutionresponsibility gaps

Identifiers

PMID34805290
PMCPMC8603346
OpenAlexW3210002238

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.