Apocalypse NAO: College Studies the Theological Ramifications of Robotics

malachiorion writes "Have you heard the one about the Christian college in North Carolina that bought a humanoid robot, to figure out whether or not bots are going to charm us into damnation (dimming or cutting our spiritual connection to God)? The robot itself is pretty boring, but the reasoning behind its purchase—a religious twist on the standard robo-phobia—is fascinating. From the article: '“When the time comes for including or incorporating humanoid robots into society, the prospect of a knee-jerk kind of reaction from the religious community is fairly likely, unless there’s some dialogue that starts happening, and we start examining the issue more closely,” says Kevin Staley, an associate professor of theology at SES. Staley pushed for the purchase of the bot, and plans to use it for courses at the college, as well as in presentations around the country. The specific reaction Staley is worried about is a more extreme version of the standard, secular creep factor associated with many robots. “From a religious perspective, it could be more along the lines of seeing human beings as made in God’s image,” says Staley. “And now that we’re relating to a humanoid robot, possibly perceiving it as evil, because of its attempt to mimic something that ought not to be mimicked.”'"

Comments

"theological" - irrational, stupid, arbitrary

[ffkom]

This is non-news for nerds, stuff that does not matter, at all.

Religious people say and do irrational, stupid, arbitrary stuff all the time. Discussing robots "theologically" is just another boring instance of this.

Re:"theological" - irrational, stupid, arbitrary

[kruach aum]

It does. Multiverse theories have been around for a long while, and until they are framed in terms of testable hypotheses (some of them never will be because as posited they prohibit causal interaction between universes) they won't be part of a scientific theory.

Re:"theological" - irrational, stupid, arbitrary

[geekoid]

"Properly done, theology is a science "
are you stupid? That's not science, that's not how science work.

Science is a method for teasing out how thing in the world work. Every time science has been pointed at religion, religion does not stand up.

“What do you think science is? There's nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. Which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?” Steven Novella

""religion = irrational" nonsense I see so often."
irrational : not in accordance with reason; utterly illogical: irrational arguments.
Believing in something that has no evidence is irrational behavior.

" but I've heard plenty of the same from anti-religion people as well."
Which doesn't mean your point of view of god is correct.

Robots are incapable of evil

[kruach aum]

Because they have no free will nor do they suffer from original sin.

Alternate response: robots don't dim or sever our connection to god because we have no connection to god because god doesn't exist.

Re:Robots are incapable of evil

[Payden K. Pringle]

I believe you missed the point. A robot being evil isn't the question. Is the act of making the robot evil is the question, and if the answer is yes, does that inherently make it's existence evil? I don't have an answer, but I do think that's what the question is.

Re:robotic slave worshippers

[geekoid]

That's not how it works. Sorry. You seem to have an assertions the God Exists. Show the evidence.
You do know that you can't prove a negative? It's on YOU to prove it.

The logical default position is there is no God.
Now, if you have actual evidences, I would be interested in reading it.

Sadly yes, People in America are free to believe and shove their belief down other peoples throat without evidence,counter to evidence, and without actual information. which would be fine except they use the ignorance and stupidity to force policy on others. Hence, taking away from people with actual facts and science.

Re:robotic slave worshippers

[aybiss]

I never actually mentioned what "my construction of God" was

I didn't mention what my construction of Santa Claus was. Do you still believe in that?