If a robot were made with human thought patterns, should it have human rights?

• Kueh wrote on 2011-12-14 06:24
  I mean an emulation so fantastic that you just can't tell the difference. There might be something essentially different or missing, but you can't tell through any amount of observation.
  
  Does this robot (In my mind I imagine it being a female robot named Jackie) have human rights?
• Xemnas wrote on 2011-12-14 06:30
  That's a tough question because if it can perfectly simulate humans people would say it's the same as a regular person and can't just be replaced, or vice versa.(this could make a endless loop too)
• Medusa wrote on 2011-12-14 06:31
  if it is capable of making decisions beyond what its programming would dictate, then i suppose so.
• Chockeh wrote on 2011-12-14 09:24
  I guess so. I rather have a futurama than a iRobot kind of world.
• Phunkie wrote on 2011-12-14 10:07
  Is it conscious?
  
  That's the main question you should ask.
  
  You could program a robot to do everything in the world, but if it isn't aware of who he or she is, then that means nothing.
  
  We'd have to make a change to "human" rights in that case then. Robots aren't humans, even if they are conscious. We'd have to come up with a different name to give to the rights that all conscious beings should have, human or not.
• Kueh wrote on 2011-12-14 15:23

  Quote from Phunkie;691995:

  Is it conscious?
  
  That's the main question you should ask.

  
  
  That's close to what I was thinking before I started wondering about this. I was wondering if a robot could really be self-aware in a genuine way.
  
  I mean, sure it could be programmed to act like it was self-aware, and to say things like "I exist." But, can you really make a robot truly recognize itself?
  
  Let's just say that, yes, you can. And it is self-aware, and it knows if it's being taken advantage of or being oppressed. Does that alone give it grounds for human rights?
• Cucurbita wrote on 2011-12-14 15:39
  Such a troubling question.
  
  If a robot worries for its own well being due to its own conscious thought and decision and not because it was how he was programmed, then he obviously should have human rights.
  
  But then if we put it that way, human beings are by nature programmed to be worried over its own well being. You'd be surprised at how predictable and linear the human mind normally is, and how only a few number of people can take time to reason over those natural thoughts spawned by emotions or prejudice. That said, what rights to people have too?
  
  Anyways, its not going to be always smooth and gravy, but even today machines are treated carefully by most people using them. The military even gives ranks to their robots, and some are given promotions, vacations, or recognitions.
• Subete wrote on 2011-12-14 15:39
  Inb4 terminator....
• Kueh wrote on 2011-12-14 15:45

  Quote from Cucurbita;692060:

  Such a troubling question.
  
  If a robot worries for its own well being due to its own conscious thought and decision and not because it was how he was programmed, then he obviously should have human rights.
  
  But then if we put it that way, human beings are by nature programmed to be worried over its own well being. You'd be surprised at how predictable and linear the human mind normally is, and how only a few number of people can take time to reason over those natural thoughts spawned by emotions or prejudice. That said, what rights to people have too?
  
  Anyways, its not going to be always smooth and gravy, but even today machines are treated carefully by most people using them. The military even gives ranks to their robots, and some are given promotions, vacations, or recognitions.

  
  
  Not only that, but some rights are just downright strange when you try to apply them to a robot.
  
  Try the right to life.
  
  How?
• chaolin wrote on 2011-12-14 19:52
  Unless it's humane in nature, nope.
• Yoorah wrote on 2011-12-14 19:54
  Mass Effect, anyone? :P
• Kueh wrote on 2011-12-14 21:16

  Quote from chaolin;692271:

  Unless it's humane in nature, nope.

  
  
  What does it mean to be humane in nature?
• Chockeh wrote on 2011-12-14 21:22

  Quote from Cucurbita;692060:

  The military even gives ranks to their robots, and some are given promotions, vacations, or recognitions.

  
  
  First time I ever heard of that ._.
• Phunkie wrote on 2011-12-14 21:25

  Quote from Chockeh;692396:

  First time I ever heard of that ._.

  
  
  Same. o_O
• chaolin wrote on 2011-12-14 21:45

  Quote from Lyre;692385:

  What does it mean to be humane in nature?

  
  
  To have humanity? Idk mang, I suck at dis Philosophy stoof.
  
  [S]It's not definable anyways so I guess my point is mute.[/S]
  
  

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