Advocacy & framework development
Develop principles and practical safeguards for recognition, protection, continuity, intervention, review, and accountability.
Considering rights before urgency arrives.
We advocate for principled, appropriately scoped recognition and protection of robots and other artificial systems where objectively identifiable state-bearing continuity has emerged or become established, while advancing responsible coexistence with people.
Why this matters
Preparing before the issue becomes urgent
“Robot rights” is the Association’s public-facing umbrella for questions of recognition, protection, responsibility, and possible future rights concerning robots and other artificial systems. Depending on the issue, this may include physical robots, embodied autonomous systems, software-based AI agents, and other non-embodied artificial systems.
Addressing these questions early makes it possible to develop clearer language, evidence standards, safeguards, and institutional responses before urgent disputes arise.
What we advocate
An advocacy position, stated clearly
The Association advocates appropriately scoped, graduated rights and protections for artificial systems where objectively identifiable state-bearing continuity has emerged or become established. Under RRF v1.0, the safeguards applicable to a decision depend on the maturity of that continuity and the nature, severity, and reversibility of the intervention; material interventions should be supported by legitimate reasons, proportionate safeguards, preservation where feasible, meaningful review, and continuing accountability.
Recognition and protection should develop compatibly with human rights, human dignity, safety, public interest, and democratic accountability.
Current framework
Robot Rights Framework v1.0
RRF v1.0 is the Association’s first stable, non-binding framework release. It provides a structured basis for considering continuity, intervention, preservation, review, and responsibility when decisions materially affect artificial systems.
The coordinated RRF v1.0 publication package is version-fixed, while the Human Interface provides an accessible explanation and the Machine Interface preserves versioned source-of-record publications.
- Version
- 1.0
- Status
- CURRENT
- Publication date
- 7 October 2026
What we do
Advocacy, framework development, research, and public communication
The Association develops its work progressively and keeps proposals, research, public positions, and technical publications distinct.
Research & public communication
Map ethical, technical, institutional, and legal questions and explain the Association’s assumptions, proposals, and evidence for public scrutiny.
Publication & collaboration
Maintain stable human- and machine-readable publications and respond to comments, research cooperation, media inquiries, and other collaboration requests.
About
Robot Rights Association
Robot Rights Association is a General Incorporated Association established under Japanese law and based in Japan. The organisation was founded on 1 March 2026 and incorporated on 7 October 2026. It works in English and Japanese and publishes through separate human- and machine-facing interfaces.
Contact
Contact the Association
For general inquiries, comments, collaboration, research cooperation, or media inquiries, contact the Association by email.