Robots, ethics and the general public

Robots fascinate and worry, much more because of their fantasized possibilities than their real capabilities. The press, and even some scientists themselves, maintain these fantasies among the general public, in particular by anthropomorphizing the robot: "killer robot", "robot with emotions that understand yours", "robot that wants to do you good", "intelligent car", and so on.

"The confusion [between the living and the robot] is tempting. It is often true. It is sustained by the dangerous use of words. We recklessly pass from the "autonomous" machine, to the "intelligent" machine, then "thinking", even "conscious", "sensitive", and why not "in love" (to my knowledge no one has yet dared to use the word). Let's marvel at the prowess of the Toyota robot playing jazz on the trumpet, but let's be aware that it "feels" nothing, that there is no "humanity" in its playing,...