[Maviarab]

Should/need...when in our vast self righteousness...we actually develop something that can think for itself...remember the 'Animatrix' where one segment deals with the court case?

If we make something so self aware and self thinking (and imo we will...see my other post re humans intelligence) then they will ask....will we comply or deny? And what would be the ramifications of either?

[Art]

The movie, AI really made quite an impresssion with regard to this discussion especially when the mother 'Bonded' with her "new" android son. His AI was so advanced that for all intents he was undetectable from a real boy.

As a family member one tends to grow or become more attached to the rest of the family over time. I think it would be extremely difficult to "terminate" such a caring, fun, loving, compassionate, digital family member, at least for me.

Perhaps I won't see such a being in my lifetime but I think they will happen none the less.

[Freddy]

I think there could also be a question of ownership - does the advanced machine belong to someone or is it something in it's own right...

[Maviarab]

Very good question Freddy.

[Art]

OK...Freddy's response turned me in another direction or at least toward another movie...

Bicentennial Man (Robin Williams) - Originally bought / owned by a wealthy but kind-hearted man, the robot was given his freedom but chose to still reside with and work for his original owner. Eventually, in an effort to seek out his own kind, he modifys his internal and external parts until he looks completely human. He falls in love with his first owner's daughter's daughter, marries her and although now getting old, is finally granted a decree that he is human.

Great story is you've never seen it.  Way in the future to be sure!!
 

[Freddy]

That's one of my favourite AI films, I prefer that in a lot of ways to Ai the film.  It would be hard to dismiss someone/thing like that.  I think it would be okay to grant rights in a case like that but like you say it's way in the future if it ever happens.

[Maviarab]

Well, we will all be long long gone, so all we can perhaps hope for, is that in some distant time in the future, some of these people find this site...read what we've been saying etc, and maybe take some of it on board...

[Art]

Either that or else they might think us all completely daft and deranged!

OK...it just hit me...think back to the movie AI when the boy android was
first found by the aliens after the flood and deep freeze. They said of the
android, "He knew of the humans..." to paraphrase.

Same scenario...different era.

History repeats!

[Freddy]

Made me think about life-span that.  What's going to happen when they carry on working for 500 years, maybe other smart machines will start imposing their own will and culling the old robots.  Sounds like a nice little Sci-Fi story..

[Art]

Having said that, I take it that you're implying that we humans are no longer on the planet in a living form!? Hehe!

Years ago I read that some Japanese scientists were or had developed a robot that "knew" it's own limitations and
was equipped to construct a "better model" of itself or at least an improved version. Not self correcting....a lot of we humans
can already do that (but not all)...I mean a robot that's capable of building a better robot than itself! Somehow there's some
real irony about to be set into motion.

Suppose you do a given task every day...assembly line...whatever....
You know that you're not the brightest crayon in the box BUT...
You know a guy who lives next door who's sharp as a tack.
You introduce him to your boss.
You get fired and replaced by him!
How poetic...proving that "No good deed goes unpunished!"LOL!

[Freddy]

We call that Sod's law here 

Yes I was thinking far into the future, maybe after all the robots have killed us 

But the thing is robots could have indefinite life-spans, all they need to do is swap their components around presumably.

Found this in the Chatterbot Collection today :

http://www.aspcr.com/

[Dante]

Sorry mate, but when I see this;

This Software Needs MicroSoft Windows.

Web-Browser :
    Firefox/3.0.5
    Please come back with Internet Explorer.

I find that site repulsive. Please do something in a free format.

[Dante]

I beleive that we would use them as slaves.

Of course, I won't. I aim to care for any life, be it natural or artificial.

[Freddy]

Sorry mate, but when I see this;

This Software Needs MicroSoft Windows.

Web-Browser :
    Firefox/3.0.5
    Please come back with Internet Explorer.

I find that site repulsive. Please do something in a free format.

What are you talking about Dante ?

[lrh9]

I think that this topic is one where regardless of what the correct ethical stance is, the side with the most control will win. Say one day we have robots that are like humans. They want rights, liberties, and freedoms. Now with a human, humans always have and probably always will intrinsically want these rights. It's part of being a human. Currently you can't make a human that doesn't want this. Humans will probably always fight for freedom. However, with robots the desire for rights, liberties, and freedoms is not an intrinsic part of what they are. It is something that is added on. So say that these robots are created and they are legally granted rights. Well the side that opposes this can always engineer robots that don't desire rights and obey their orders, and then they can fight the free robots. How would you make these slave robots stop fighting? You couldn't free them. They have no desire, no concept for freedom. Only the ability to obey their masters. You couldn't get them to stop fighting. They have to fight. The only option you'd have is to destroy them or flee. Even if you do succeed in defeating these robot armies, nothing could absolutely prevent more from being built.

Personally, pain is what qualifies a organic or synthetic being as having rights for me. But how would you tell if a robot was or was not feeling pain?