Self-driving cars and smarter robots are fast becoming a reality. MEPs are calling for an ethical charter or a European agency to ensure artificial intelligence and robots are used responsibly and do not violate human rights.

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MEPs lead calls for better oversight of AI, robots

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/10069712/B05ESN043019-EN.srt

are seeping further  and further into our lives.

these new technologies also  raise a number of legal and ethical questions.

These are some of the challenges  being brought to light

by the Panel for the Future of Science  and Technology of the European Parliament,

STOA, whose studies are guiding  MEPs through the legislative process.

The evident example is  a self-driving car.

For the moment the driver is liable,  if there is an accident,

I can not be liable  for an accident caused by my car.

In this case, who is liable?  Is it the producer?

Is it the software provider?  Is it the network provider?

that digital technologies have  a positive impact on their quality of life. 

But at the same time,  88% of those find

that the newest technologies  should be handled with extreme care.

Their concerns have  been taken up by MEPs,

or the creation of a European agency  for artificial intelligence.

It would be tasked with identifying  any negative impacts on citizens

and investigating  possible human rights violations.

We need expertise, and for the moment  the expertise is in the industry.

I believe that as a consumer or policymaker,  we need independent expertise.

This is why I think  we would need a European agency.

And so Europe  doesn't end up lagging behind,

adequate financing  for the sector will be crucial.

We need a lot of money to invest  because when you see the money

we have to make big efforts  to remain competitive.

The European Commission expects that  the private and the public sectors will invest

20 billion euros  in the robotic industry by 2020,

and afterwards more than  20 billion a year until 2030. 

MEPs want to concentrate public support  on strategic sectors such as health, 