What is the Role of Personal Knowledge in Social Robotics and Its Ethics?
This research article examines the role of Michael Polanyi's concept of personal and tacit knowledge in contemporary social robotics and AI ethics. The paper explores the non-propositional dimensions of knowing, such as intuition and expertise, and argues for their relevance in addressing ethical challenges in digital societies. It highlights how socially shared human knowing forms a critical infrastructure that must be prioritized in human-robot relations and AI regulatory frameworks.
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Who issued it
Who it governs
Researchers and scholars exploring the philosophical, ethical, and epistemological dimensions of social robotics and AI.
What the document contains
The paper addresses the intersection of ethics and epistemology in social robotics through the lens of Michael Polanyi's personal knowledge theory. It examines how tacit human knowing and social traditions are vulnerable in digital societies and argues for prioritizing this fragility over a purely technological reduction of human-robot relations.
Specific enforceable regulatory rules, technical design standards, and legal compliance guidelines for AI developers or deployers.
- Personal and tacit knowledge play a significant role in 21st-century social robotics and AI ethics.
- The concept of personal knowledge encompasses a non-propositional dimension including skills, expertise, imagination, and intuition.
- Social relations and embodied traditions of tacit knowing constitute critical infrastructures of liberal democracies.
- Michael Polanyi's work offers ongoing insights for digital sovereignty and AI regulatory frameworks.
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How it scores
Each score is backed by a quote verified against the document text. Editorial review has not yet confirmed them.
Accountability
0/5Clear responsibility for AI outcomes
Abstract
screening score · 2026-10-24
Fairness
0/5Non-discrimination and equitable treatment
Abstract
screening score · 2026-10-24
Human Dignity
2/5Respect for the inherent worth of persons
Human bodies are fragile, yet socially shared human knowing may be even more vulnerable.
Abstract
screening score · 2026-10-24
Human Oversight
0/5Humans remain in control of consequential decisions
Abstract
screening score · 2026-10-24
Privacy
0/5Protection of personal data and private life
Abstract
screening score · 2026-10-24
Transparency
0/5Openness about how AI systems work and are used
Abstract
screening score · 2026-10-24
Enforcement
0/5Consequences and compliance mechanisms with real force
Abstract
screening score · 2026-10-24
Impact Assessment
0/5Required assessment of an AI system's risks/impacts before or during use
Abstract
screening score · 2026-10-24