The topic which, as of now, I am interested in pursuing is that of Robot Rights, simply put, it's a relevant topic to discuss in that it will most likely be an arising issue in the future. I chose this topic not only because of its pertinence, but because it interests me, which I believe to be the best reason, because how great could an uninspired research paper really be?
The only hindrance I can see in choosing this topic is the lack of physical data or evidence, in addition to our current progress, or in depth lack-thereof, in robotics. It's a lot of assumption and opinion, and a lot less empiricism. However, what is science fiction but a hulking educated guess? I believe tracing the timeline of human rights can show a decent picture of when (or if) sentient automatons will one day have their own individual rights. As of yet, I have not decided to do this on a global or regional scale, the choice depends on how much research I do and the volume of information I need to mull over. I am a big history buff, so I have a general sense of when, where, and who were 'granted' their rights, so I am confident in my capability to find information on the subject.
First I will try to briefly define what being human entails, so as to provide a general comparison, you could see it as the threshold our automaton friends have to meet (or surpass). For brevity, I'm going to consider all humans equal, regardless of race, age, gender, class, nationality, etc. in terms of rights, so I can focus more on the human vs android aspect. I WILL discuss the progression of rights, however, when the time for comparison comes, it will be simpler to avoid the nuances of modern equal rights and place our comparison in a future where all humans are considered 'equal'.
Next, I will aim to discuss not only the projected, but the potential, capabilities of automatons, which will aid in showing that although the exterior (and parts of the interior) may be different, under the hood they are just the same as us (or rather, will be). With a bit of actual real world evidence and a bit of educated guessing, I believe I can prove that automatons have the capability to 'earn their rights'. I find it sort of despicable that a group has to 'earn' something they should inherently possess, however, I think the term earn in this case is applicable since robots/androids will have to technologically and mechanically advance to a point where they 'earn' their rights, or rather, develop to a point where they can rightfully assume their rights. Basically, this is our automaton's attempt to reach the threshold established in the first section.
The next goal is to trace the lineage of human rights, in order to project a time frame for when our robot friends will be considered 'equal' in the eyes of humans. History has already confirmed numerous times that it repeats itself, so I believe it to be a good indicator of future trends. I believe this part is quite self explanatory, so I don't really see the need to elaborate much more. Basically, this section will be a general briefing of human rights history.
The last section will be the projected time frame, in addition to many of the questions I will try to answer.
Questions including but not limited to:
Why wouldn't androids be considered equal, even if they had sentience and intelligence?
Why would androids be discriminated against?
Will androids have a 'voice'?
Will progressivism and activism cover androids?
What different taboos will arise with the coming of the sentient automaton?
How will these taboos affect androids and their attempts to 'earn' rights?
Will progressivism even be able to address the issues android rights poses in the midst of future moral and ethical issues?
And finally: When will androids/robots change from a mere utility to actual 'people'?
This is my projected paper in a nutshell, there is still much room for revision, adaptation, and change, so I consider this entire post to be a transitory entity, in that you shouldn't expect me to hold true to it, although I probably will retain the general idea. I am confident in my research topic, and think it will not only be an interesting paper, but a provocative on as well.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Exploration- The State of Human-like Robotics
Having done some minor research in the topic of Human-like Robotics, it is apparent that the world could see a computer with similar capabilities to those of the human brain in the next twenty to thirty years. As of now, there is a project already working on creating a super-computer which would be analogous, almost identical, to a human brain. (http://mashable.com/2013/10/08/human-brain-project/) Although it may seem like a daunting task, to map out the entire human brain for inorganic reconstruction, in reality all we need is time. We have already mapped our entire genome, have developed electronics that, with each day, grow increasingly more powerful, yet also shrink in size. In the past decade the field of electronics has exploded in terms of invention and discovery, and the horizons are even greater. In my opinion, the development of electronics not only has compound progression, but exponential progression, in that discoveries help speed up other discoveries. This means we may possibly see human-like robots, maybe even androids, in the near future.
Additionally, the physical state of human-like robots is also very promising, or very frightening. As of now, there are many companies/organizations working on creating robots which have the ability to balance autonomously, with the capacity to not only move quickly, but over treacherous terrain. This form or human-like robotics will most certainly progress faster than the mental aspects, which means we will most likely see robots which will be used for various mundane tasks, or tasks which are dangerous for us to accomplish. Additionally, the use of robots for war is very apparent, and almost unavoidable with the state of global affairs as it is. The US already uses remote controlled drones in warfare, it is not far fetched to say the implementation of robots for war will occur in the very near future. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24427821) (http://www.darpa.mil/our_work/tto/programs/darpa_robotics_challenge.aspx) The videos shown in the first link no doubt prove a distinct military application is possible, however, also show the possibility of creating domestic robots, or even androids capable of human-like locomotion and demeanor.
Lastly, the more moral aspects of human-like robotics come with the definition of what is human, and how we separate ourselves from other animals. Do we consider human-like robots/androids to be machines, and treat them as solely a utility, rather than an individual entity? What defines us? Many say we are distinct in that we are a species which relies heavily on communication and language, others say we are capable of using and creating complex tools to help ourselves survive. I believe, in a general sense, what makes us human is our high degree of intelligence and our ability to 'feel', that is, have the ability to experience and communicate distinct emotion.(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/what-makes-us-human-pro.html its a video, its pretty long...) This brings up the question of Artificial Intelligence, or AI. Today, AI already has a place in day to day technology, it is especially apparent in our Smart Phones, some applications using a basic form of AI for better and faster processing. As humans, we use algorithms and heuristics in everything we do, although we do so automatically, therefore an AI is essentially just a large collection of varying algorithms and heuristics. We have the algorithm part pretty solidly nailed down, but the experience based learning is still being developed. Essentially, all an AI would need would be a processor with the capacity to not only intake visual cues, but process them and act in suit, the AI would need the ability to learn and adapt, just as a human would. This is essentially the development of personality, the development of a unique individual, as we humans are products of our environments. This technology, I surmise, would take the longest to develop, as it would have to come after the creation of a human-like brain. We could develop a inorganic human brain, but we still would need to program it. However, with the rate of technological discovery raging at the pace it is now, I believe a basic human-like AI could be created in the next thirty years, a complex one in maybe forty. (http://www.monash.edu.au/news/show/the-true-state-of-artificial-intelligence) (http://www.bitrebels.com/technology/the-current-state-of-artificial-intelligence/) The final question which comes to mind is that of equality. Will androids have rights? Will they be considered 'human'? Or will they be alienated, discriminated, and ostracized? These are the potential question I may aim to answer in my paper, although the answers will be highly theoretical, I believe looking at our past as humans, how we've handled equality and rights in the past, where we've been and where we are now, can be a solid indicator of how our fellow inorganic counterparts may be treated in the coming decades.
Additionally, the physical state of human-like robots is also very promising, or very frightening. As of now, there are many companies/organizations working on creating robots which have the ability to balance autonomously, with the capacity to not only move quickly, but over treacherous terrain. This form or human-like robotics will most certainly progress faster than the mental aspects, which means we will most likely see robots which will be used for various mundane tasks, or tasks which are dangerous for us to accomplish. Additionally, the use of robots for war is very apparent, and almost unavoidable with the state of global affairs as it is. The US already uses remote controlled drones in warfare, it is not far fetched to say the implementation of robots for war will occur in the very near future. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24427821) (http://www.darpa.mil/our_work/tto/programs/darpa_robotics_challenge.aspx) The videos shown in the first link no doubt prove a distinct military application is possible, however, also show the possibility of creating domestic robots, or even androids capable of human-like locomotion and demeanor.
Lastly, the more moral aspects of human-like robotics come with the definition of what is human, and how we separate ourselves from other animals. Do we consider human-like robots/androids to be machines, and treat them as solely a utility, rather than an individual entity? What defines us? Many say we are distinct in that we are a species which relies heavily on communication and language, others say we are capable of using and creating complex tools to help ourselves survive. I believe, in a general sense, what makes us human is our high degree of intelligence and our ability to 'feel', that is, have the ability to experience and communicate distinct emotion.(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/what-makes-us-human-pro.html its a video, its pretty long...) This brings up the question of Artificial Intelligence, or AI. Today, AI already has a place in day to day technology, it is especially apparent in our Smart Phones, some applications using a basic form of AI for better and faster processing. As humans, we use algorithms and heuristics in everything we do, although we do so automatically, therefore an AI is essentially just a large collection of varying algorithms and heuristics. We have the algorithm part pretty solidly nailed down, but the experience based learning is still being developed. Essentially, all an AI would need would be a processor with the capacity to not only intake visual cues, but process them and act in suit, the AI would need the ability to learn and adapt, just as a human would. This is essentially the development of personality, the development of a unique individual, as we humans are products of our environments. This technology, I surmise, would take the longest to develop, as it would have to come after the creation of a human-like brain. We could develop a inorganic human brain, but we still would need to program it. However, with the rate of technological discovery raging at the pace it is now, I believe a basic human-like AI could be created in the next thirty years, a complex one in maybe forty. (http://www.monash.edu.au/news/show/the-true-state-of-artificial-intelligence) (http://www.bitrebels.com/technology/the-current-state-of-artificial-intelligence/) The final question which comes to mind is that of equality. Will androids have rights? Will they be considered 'human'? Or will they be alienated, discriminated, and ostracized? These are the potential question I may aim to answer in my paper, although the answers will be highly theoretical, I believe looking at our past as humans, how we've handled equality and rights in the past, where we've been and where we are now, can be a solid indicator of how our fellow inorganic counterparts may be treated in the coming decades.
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