As robots transition from controlled industrial settings into public spaces and private homes, their deployment raises significant legal and regulatory considerations. Service, caregiving, and security robots increasingly rely on continuous environmental sensing, producing vast amounts of personal and biometric data, which triggers complex questions under privacy, data protection and surveillance laws. At the same time, autonomous decision-making in safety-critical contexts – such as factory patrols or disaster response – touches on liability allocation, product safety standards and the boundaries of human oversight. These developments also intersect with labour law and workforce policy, as automation begins to reshape job functions and employment structures.

This session will explore the evolving legal frameworks needed to govern human–robot coexistence in a manner that is safe, rights-respecting and socially beneficial. Panellists will discuss emerging regulatory models across jurisdictions, including data governance rules, certification and safety assurance regimes, accountability frameworks for autonomous decision systems and policy tools to support fair workforce transitions. The conversation will consider how legislators, regulators, industry and civil society can collaborate to ensure that robotic technologies enhance human dignity, public trust and equitable societal outcomes.