Robotics and Artificial Intelligence hold the potential of significantly augmenting human cognitive and physical performance, giving light-speed and extreme accuracy to human systems and processes, contributing to overcome some of the most complex challenges that humankind faces nowadays. But intelligent technologies also pose high risks to human safety, autonomy and dignity and they can also negatively impact the environment affecting and even threatening the planet's sustainability and the life of other species.

By questioning the ontological status of intelligent tools, this book analyzes their level of efficiency and ethical performance, across distinct domains and settings, highlighting the role of standardisation, certification and governance in the production and deployment of beneficial intelligent systems.

The present book is a fundamental reading both to academia and industry, i.e. to all those involved in the design, production and safe and ethical deployment of intelligent technologies.