Professor Burkhard Schafer joins AGROBOOST Ethics Advisory Board
Mon 21 September 2026
Professor Burkhard Schafer, Professor of Computational Legal Theory and member of the SCRIPT Centre for IT and IP Law at Edinburgh Law School, has joined the Ethics Advisory Board of AGROBOOST, a pilot-driven, multidisciplinary EU project that aims to transform the agricultural sector into a more attractive, sustainable and efficient industry by harnessing the power of advanced robotics, AR, AI, and automation. The project aims to reveal the social and economic benefits for people working in agriculture, especially women, young professionals, and farmers with mobility disabilities.
The Ethics Advisory Board provides expert guidance on the ethical, legal and societal issues arising from the design, development and deployment of AGROBOOST technologies. It comprises independent experts, selected for their recognised expertise in ethics, law, data protection, and the governance of emerging technologies.
Professor Schafer said: "While AI doomsday scenarios capture the attention of the popular media, quieter, more humane, and beneficial changes happen in crucial but often overlooked fields such as agriculture. There is significant scope for new technologies to ensure, also in Scotland, diverse, sustainable, and resilient systems that deliver high-quality food, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship, protecting biodiversity and natural capital, while fairly rewarding the work of our farmers. However, meeting these goals requires an ethics-by-design approach that supports the development and delivery of AI and robotics systems throughout their entire life cycle. I'm delighted to have been asked to join the AGROBOOST Ethics Advisory Board to ensure that the project delivers on its ethical commitments."
Read more about Professor Schafer's work