Law Commons^™

Robot Criminals, Ying Hu

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

When a robot harms humans, are there any grounds for holding it criminally liable for its misconduct? Yes, provided that the robot is capable of making, acting on, and communicating the reasons behind its moral decisions. If such a robot fails to observe the minimum moral standards that society requires of it, labeling it as a criminal can effectively fulfill criminal law’s function of censuring wrongful conduct and alleviating the emotional harm that may be inflicted on human victims.

Imposing criminal liability on robots does not absolve robot manufacturers, trainers, or owners of their individual criminal liability. The former is …

Taking A Byte Out Of Abusive Agency Discretion: A Proposal For Disclosure In The Use Of Computer Models, John P. Barker

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Note examines the need for comprehensive requirements for the release of information pertaining to the use of computer-generated simulations used by federal administrative agencies or parties appearing before regulatory bodies. Part I of this Note defines computer models, identifies some of their current uses in administrative proceedings and describes the advantages of these models. Part II reviews the current requirements for documentation of computer models and the judicial review standards for agency findings. Part III examines the potential problems in the use of models and discusses the need for more adequate disclosure. Part IV describes several tests for verifying …