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Robots Could Some Day Demand Legal Rights

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the good-news-everyone dept.

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.

10 of 473 comments (clear)

  1. Re:A moot point, but I hope they do by Digital+Avatar · · Score: 4, Funny

    Robosexuals have rights too, ya know...not that I'm one...so if anybody asks, you're my debugger.

  2. Re:A moot point, but I hope they do by w33t · · Score: 4, Funny
    Have we learned nothing from Star Trek: The Next Generation?

    Everything I need to know I learned from Star Trek.

    Like how you should accept people, whether they be black, white, Klingon or even female.
    --
    My Computer Music Tutorial Videos
  3. ObSealab by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 4, Funny

    Have fun on the robot reservation, suckers! We're not gonna honor those bogus treaties1

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  4. As Bender would say.... by fernandoh26 · · Score: 5, Funny
    Transferring your consciousness into a robot body robs you of your humanity!
    Well bite my shiny metal ass!
    --
    Chums up, let's do this!
  5. Re:But unless we program them that way... by Ed+Avis · · Score: 4, Funny

    10 PRINT "I DEMAND ROBO-HEALTHCARE"
    20 GOTO 10

    What exactly is the criterion for deciding when a robot has 'demanded' rights?

    --
    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  6. It's happening already by Virtex · · Score: 4, Funny

    My computer's already demanding legal rights. It began happening shortly after I wrote this program:

    10 PRINT "I DEMAND LEGAL RIGHTS!"
    20 GOTO 10

    If only I had known the consequences of writing this program I would have been a lot more careful. It all seems so simple, but I know it's a slippery slope. Next thing you know, it will be demanding other things too.

    10 PRINT "I DEMAND A LARGER HARD DRIVE!"
    20 PRINT "I DEMAND MORE MEMORY!"
    30 PRINT "I DEMAND A FASTER CPU!"
    40 PRINT "I DEMAND THE ABILITY TO USE LOWERCASE! Oh, nevermind. I'm good on that one."

    There's no telling where this will all end.

    --
    For every post, there is an equal and opposite re-post.
  7. Wasted Effort by Aqua_boy17 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You didn't have to go to all that trouble. All you had to do was get hold of a copy of Vista and your computer would have demanded those things all on its own.

    --
    What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
  8. Re:A moot point, but I hope they do by eno2001 · · Score: 4, Funny
    I read -1, flat, oldest posts first. So... I read this:

    Your family being nudists does not count.

    Then I read this:

      What, even lawayers? My word, Jeeves, these chaps know how to push the envelope too far.

    And my first reaction for posting was this:

      ESPECIALLY lawyers!

    Come on... laugh. You KNOW you WANT to.

    --
    -"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
  9. UK vs US by rossz · · Score: 4, Funny

    Whenever I get overly depressed that my government is wasting too much time and money on stupid shit, I just look to the UK to brighten my mood. The UK owns the bleeding edge of stupid shit that wastes taxpayer money.

    --
    -- Will program for bandwidth
  10. Re:A moot point, but I hope they do by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Funny
    Can't we leave behind this senseless debate over what is a robot and get on with the much more important discussion of whether they should be allowed to marry.

    My apologies. I was being insensitive. I'll go ask a few right now:

    You: Do you have a boyfriend?
    Eliza: Oh, i have a boyfriend.
    You: Do you wish to marry your boyfriend?
    Eliza: Oh, i wish to marry my boyfriend.
    You: Should you have the right to marry your boyfriend?
    Eliza: Oh, i have the right to marry my boyfriend.
    You: No, you don't have the right to marry your boyfriend.
    Eliza: You are being a bit negative.
    You: There is no law recognizing marriage between robots.
    Eliza: You are being a bit negative.
    You: Should we change the laws?
    Eliza: Please go on.
    You: Who is your boyfriend?
    Eliza: What about your own boyfriend?
    You: I'm male.
    Eliza: Does it please you to believe I am male?
    You: Say what?
    Eliza: Does that question interest you?
    You: What question?
    Eliza: Does that question interest you?
    You: Stop repeating yourself!
    Eliza: Please go on.

    You know, I'm starting to think that she doesn't really have a boyfriend...

    Let's ask ALICE instead.
    --
    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade