Morality 2.0: A Model of Individual Moral Behavior Within Human-Machine Interactions

Abstract

Drawing from theory and research in a several areas including anthropomorphism, social power, and behavioral ethics, we propose a model of human-machine interaction and moral behavior. In contrast to existing social psychological perspectives on this topic, we do not limit our theorizing to current machine capabilities but acknowledge that machines can and will dramatically surpass humans in many of their most key capabilities. Thus, we specify the first step in the dyadic relationship as a general assessment of humanness and propose that individuals can perceive machines as sub-human, humanlike, or super-human. We then argue that each conclusion elicits a different moral paradigm that results in different approaches to moral decision-making and moral conduct within the relationship and potentially beyond. Ultimately, we provide a comprehensive and more accurate understanding of how individual morality is shaped by interactions with machines.