TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans

Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans

By Sharon Gaudin, InformationWeek

A report out of the U.K. contends that in about 50 years, robots will
be given the same rights as humans and even will be expected to vote
and pay taxes.

The report was a team effort of analysts at Outsights, a U.K.-based
management consultancy, and Ipsos Mori, a U.K.-based opinion research
organization. The study was sponsored by the British government.

What will push governments to give rights to inanimate objects or what
are now considered to be pieces of property?

The achievement of artificial intelligence will be critical, according
to the report. "If artificial intelligence is achieved and widely
deployed (or if they can reproduce and improve themselves), calls may
be made for human rights to be extended to robots," the report
notes. "If so, this may be balanced with citizen responsibilities,
like voting and paying taxes."

The report argues that there will be a "monumental shift" in coming
years when robots get to the point where they can reproduce, improve
themselves or gain artificial intelligence. The granting of human-like
rights would then call for robots to be given human-like
responsibilities, as well. The report says they might even have
compulsory military service.

"Humankind could engage in spirited debates as to how humans, animals
and robots rank with respect to rights and responsibilities in our
world," the report states. "Robots with advanced artificial
intelligence could promote the development of schools of thought that
see the human brain as nothing more than a special type of computer."

Copyright - 2006 CMP Media LLC.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at
http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or)
http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html

For more news and headlines of interest, please go to:
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/technews.html

Post Followup Article	Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: AES: "AT&T Residential Rate Increases?"
Go to Previous message: Lisa Baertlein, Reuters : "OnLine Sites Offer Help for Holiday Grief"
Next in thread: T: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: T: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: mc: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: T: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: mc: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: Rick Merrill: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: Scott Dorsey: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: mc: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: David Wolff: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
May be reply: mc: "Re: Robots Will Get Same Rights as Humans"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page