  Ethicists, policy-makers, and the general public have questioned whether
artificial entities such as robots warrant rights or other forms of moral
consideration. There is little synthesis of the research on this topic so far.
We identify 294 relevant research or discussion items in our literature review
of this topic. There is widespread agreement among scholars that some
artificial entities could warrant moral consideration in the future, if not
also the present. The reasoning varies, such as concern for the effects on
artificial entities and concern for the effects on human society. Beyond the
conventional consequentialist, deontological, and virtue ethicist ethical
frameworks, some scholars encourage "information ethics" and
"social-relational" approaches, though there are opportunities for more
in-depth ethical research on the nuances of moral consideration of artificial
entities. There is limited relevant empirical data collection, primarily in a
few psychological studies on current moral and social attitudes of humans
towards robots and other artificial entities. This suggests an important gap
for social science research on how artificial entities will be integrated into
society and the factors that will determine how the interests of sentient
artificial entities are considered.
