Robots Could Some Day Demand Legal Rights

Karrde712 writes "According to a study by the British government, as reported by the BBC, robots may some day improve to a level of intelligence where they might be able to demand rights, even 'robo-healthcare'." From the article: "The research was commissioned by the UK Office of Science and Innovation's Horizon Scanning Centre. The 246 summary papers, called the Sigma and Delta scans, were complied by futures researchers, Outsights-Ipsos Mori partnership and the US-based Institute for the Future (IFTF) ... The paper which addresses Robo-rights, titled Utopian dream or rise of the machines? examines the developments in artificial intelligence and how this may impact on law and politics." I'd better get started on my RoboAmerican studies degree.

Comments

Re:Cart before the Horse

[jmorris42]

> when right here and now we have animal friends who so obviously need legal right

STFU hippie. You pollute the thoughts of sentient beings with your presence by forcing us to even take the time to laugh at you. Your 'animal friends' have no rights, deal with it. The concept of a 'Right' does not exist in a vaccum, it can only exist as half of a pair. For every Right there must be an equal and opposite Responsibilty. Since an animal is incapable of exercising any such Responsibity it cannot possess any Rights.

For example the commonly accepted Right we all claim to "Life, Liberty and the Persuit of Happiness" can only be valid among a group who not only claim that right for themselves but accept the responsibility to honor everyone else's right to do likewise. But you can't extend that "Right" to a lion because he won't hold up his end of the bargain, he will chomp yer ass. This doesn't make the lion evil, it makes him a lion.

Not saying it is OK to be cruel to animals for the hell of it. If for no other reason that people who do that sort of thing are almost always wicked and evil in other ways.

Now moving back ontopic, depending on what sort of AI we end up creating, it might well be capable of making a good argument for being able to discharge the duties of Citizenship and therefore deserving the Rights up to now reserved for Free Men[1]. Wouldn't be the first time the franchise has been expanded.

[1] I hate the PC usages. English is an old laguage, deal with it's bugs.