"Intellectuals" are anything but

This might be the stupidest thing I've ever read.

Comments

[The Cheezer]

Shouldn't we give equal rights to the organic life before the artificial ones? What about Dogs, cats, fish, worms, ants, etc…?
What a load of crap! This guy sounds like an Oregon democrat!

[Gullyborg]

More to the point, why would anyone create a labor saving device that could then demand "rights" that make it more expensive than hiring a worker? If you hire a worker, then the worker's salary and benefits must be added into the price of that worker's output. But if we build robots that can demand minimum wages and other benefits, then we have to factor in not just the salary, but the production/purchase price of the robot.

This is not economically viable.

Of course you know the real intent of this idea, don't you?

It's to force industrial nations (cough America cough) that already make extensive use of robotics in industry to go back to only hiring humans (cough union labor cough) and become closer in status to third world nations (cough end American hegemoy cough go UN cough).

So yes, an Oregon democRat.

[MaxRedline]

I saw the article when it came out, and found it laughable. However, I do imagine that if artificial "intelligence" should ever come to pass, some rabid humans will be there to insist that the machines have "rights", just as is now the case with groups like PeTA, HSUS, and others.

[Gullyborg]

I wonder if there will be studies to determine whether or not there is pain and suffering when someone flips the power switch to OFF...

[Jim in KFalls]

If someone turns the computer off it would be like executing it wouldn't it - now you have anti-death penalty wackos involved...

What will really be ironic is when the voting machines have the right to vote...

I can see it now Vote C-3PO in 2190...(Paid for in advance by the driods who really really like C-3PO Human Protocol Driod)

Better yet - it will be the Terminator versus Robo-Cop...

[Jim in KFalls]

By the way, your blog comments are discriminating against "Automated Robots" who would like to post a comment on your blog...

:-)

[Gullyborg]

If they are "sentient" and if the have SOULS they will not be posting comment spam...

[DirtCrashr]

What about the giant Sex-Robots on Zoltan-XI??
Will they tax and unionize each organ separately, or collectively?

[DirtCrashr]

BTW I see the ACLU's nasty fingerprints all over this.

[Gullyborg]

great, I can see it now: alimony for sex robots after the break up!

[davodavo]

Yes, this article is mucho stupid.

But some folks reading this blog scream for giving rights to eggs in petri dishes. Or maintaining the rights of a person with no brain activity for 15 years. So maybe you shouldn't throw stones.

Oregon Democrat? Ummm, no...the guy in the article is surely a Cambridge (England) PhD. Get your insults straight.

Oh yeah, and go read your Asimov, which is where this idea came from. I, Robot was written in 1950.

[Passerby]

Doesn't seem silly to me.

The proff is not talking about simple machines. He is considering the ethical implications of creting new sentient life. Surley if we one day we did create new thinking, reasoning, feeling beings we would have to consider their rights and resonsibilities.

It's a bit sci-fi I know but sometimes its good/fun to think ahead.