Should Robots Be Given Rights?
At least 150+ experts that work in areas of law, AI, robotics, and medical science, have together written a letter that urges the EU to reconsider giving robots human rights, or legal status as an “electric person".
Manufactures and legal experts, lawmakers and others, have been busy debating the potential for robots to be given rights. Ultimately, they are discussing who should bear the responsibility of the actions of the robots.
Should it be manufacturers? The controllers of those robots? Or the robots themselves etc?
One robot in Saudi Arabia, known as Sophia, already made headlines after she was granted citizenship in the region. And Sophia is regarded as the very first robot to receive citizenship as such.
Those who are pushing for the changes, suggest that by granting robots this sort of status, that it would be on par with the legal persons status that corporations are given. But there are many critics who warn that doing this would be inappropriate and unethical.
They warn that manufacturers are trying to evade the responsibility for the actions of the machines that they create.
Just recently, they announced plans to spend over €20bn on AI research and innovation over the next few years.
One commission vice president, Andrus Ansip, has shared his views on the ongoing debate, and suggested that he doesn't think the group will make the move to grant robots human rights.
There has been a committee appointed, to spend time coming up with ethical guidelines surrounding the use of AI and that group is expected to convene sometime in the summer.
Pics:
Pixabay
Sources:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2018/04/13/europe-warned-granting-robots-legal-status-breach-human-rights/
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2017/12/05/human-rights-robots/
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/sex-robots-should-human-rights-12330202
http://www.newsweek.com/robots-human-rights-electronic-persons-humans-versus-machines-886075
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/25/european-commission-ai-artificial-intelligence
https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/commission-vows-to-spend-e1-5-billion-on-artificial-intelligence-by-2020/
Is Sophia the only robot that was given citizenship? Is she the most advanced robot so far?
Who knows, but she surely is a robot who has no voting rights. It almost seems like totalitarian regimes have an advantage on AI, because we might have to give them not just the citizenship, but also allow them to enter the voting booth...
So let me get this straight. They want to give robots rights as an electric person....while limiting or taking away OUR freedoms and rights. Hmmmm. Something is not right here. (I just realized the pun) and I bet it is by the left. Thanks @doitvoluntarily
Hmmm. This sounds pretty ridiculous to me. So then if the robot/ machine makes a mistake or kills someone, there is no one responsible for it's action. Sort of like the self-drive Uber cars that already killed a lady and maybe even more.
The world is already crazy enough with all of this technology making everyone more asleep and lazy and only relying on the machines.
What is this world coming too? Oh I know. The end since we are destroying everything including humanity.
Hahahaha ! I loved this , GREAT COMMENT !😂😂😂👍👍👍
No my robot girlfriend shouldnt get rights, that's why I bought her. I might as well just get a real girlfriend if we are giving the robots rights
Hahahah !! 😂😂😂👍
Great post. This is something that is going to be need to addressed sooner rather than later. I highly recommend Nick Bostrom's book Superintelligence. It's a pretty exhaustive treatment of the subject.
The issue of electronic rights will be an important issue once AI reaches self awareness. We should grant "them" protections as we would any other life form. If we do not, then it reflects poorly upon us. Providing electronic rights to sentient electronic beings also acts as proof that we can trust one another and work collectively. This is not only good for AI, its good for human relationships as well.
Tricky questions but I am thinking about an article I read recently. A driverless car (robot in its own way) "sees" a kid running out into the road after his ball, the logic will be to avoid the kid but what if it has to swerve and in avoiding the boy will hit an old couple at the side of the road? Something I cannot even answer myself.
perhaps it could swerve and honk? and those nearby would think to move and get out of the way? 👍
yes but the situation describe didn't give the option so it's really not easy to make a choice.
But in this case the same thing would happen whether its a person driving or a robotic car ! I think the robotic car would sense the kid before a human would , and stop in time without incident or any need to swerve ! 👍👍👍😀
many accidents happen because of unexpected events. you are implying the autonomous "expect" this all the time and be able to react to stop which that implies the car won't be going fast. we can build the cars to talk to cars but we cannot build the cars to talk to all around unless everything has an IOT device that is opened and talks to everyone. now, that will also be scary but part of it is already truly happening.
I recently read another post on this issue and I find it both incongruous and disturbing. What is becoming of human sensibility??
In my opinion robots should not have rights, nor consequences of their actions, it is their developers and manufacturers who must assume all the consequences created by their inventions.
another great news dear friend @doitvoluntarily, many sgracias for spreading it
I wish you a beautiful day
I was just thinking along these lines earlier today. I was wondering at what point does an AI become self aware? Then it occurred to me that if a robot can rewrite its own code to reflect its own values, etc, that would demonstrate self awareness.
However, this issue of rights and responsibilities has to clearly define self vs other on many levels of relationship. Some are advocating the lack of separateness from a "new age" perspective, that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things. This idea seems to be at the root of left born fascism currently.