AIpology: When saying sorry is the hardest string to compute

Burkhard Schafer

doi:10.5771/9783748929093-17

AIpology: When saying sorry is the hardest string to compute

Burkhard Schafer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Abstract

Apologies play an important role in trust recovery in post-conflict scenarios. As we increasingly interact with autonomous systems, HCI researchers too have discovered the power of apologies for situations where AIs or robots violated justified expectations of the humans they interact with. But are AIs the type of entity that can meaningfully apologise? Drawing on conceptions of apologies across a range of legal field, the chapter identifies requirements for robot-generated apologies that ensure not only their ethically sound deployment, but also, potentially, their recognition in law.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Algorothmic Transformation and Diffusion of Power
Subtitle of host publication	Trust, Conflict, Uncertainty and Control
Editors	Indra Spiecker, Christoph Burchard
Place of Publication	Baden Baden
Publisher	Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft
Pages	19-39
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	9783748929093
ISBN (Print)	9783848785483
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5771/9783748929093-17
Publication status	Published - 28 Jul 2025

Publication series

Name	Studien zum Datenschutz
Volume	80

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

XAI
AI regulation
robotics
apologies
explainability
law

Access to Document

10.5771/9783748929093-17Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA)

SchaferB2025AIpologyAccepted author manuscript, 455 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)
SchaferB2025AIpologyFinal published version, 485 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA)

Cite this

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AIpology: When saying sorry is the hardest string to compute. / Schafer, Burkhard.
Algorothmic Transformation and Diffusion of Power: Trust, Conflict, Uncertainty and Control. ed. / Indra Spiecker; Christoph Burchard. 1. ed. Baden Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2025. p. 19-39 (Studien zum Datenschutz; Vol. 80).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

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AIpology: When saying sorry is the hardest string to compute

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Regulation and Governance Node

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AIpology: When saying sorry is the hardest string to compute

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Regulation and Governance Node

Cite this