[extropy-chat] MP3000s

[Joseph Bloch]

"Star Wars". Not only do 'droids with enough introspection to express 
remorse when their owners are presumably killed because of their 
inability to act quickly enough (Ep IV trash compactor sceen), but they 
can have their memories erased at a whim (Ep III "have the protocol 
droid's memory erased" and Ep IV "take them to Anchor Head and have 
their memories erased"). This has been discussed in much more depth over 
on Betterhumans.com.

"I, Robot". Basically, the whole movie revolves around how robots with 
basically human-level intelligence are integral to society as servants.

"Forbidden Planet". I assume here that being able to order the robot in 
question to stick its arm in a disintegrator beam is about equal to 
ownership as used in your question here.

"2001: A Space Oddessey" and "2010: The Year We Make Contact". I'm 
reluctant to include these here, as HAL9000 is never said explicitly to 
be "owned" by the government, but it's implied that it's just considered 
to be a tool, and the moral dillemma about HAL's status personhood-wise 
is developed a bit better in the second film.

"Westworld". But I'm not sure these would qualify as "human-level"... 
I'd give it a question-mark. It's never explained if they are simply 
malfunctioning toasters or resentful Spartacuses. Deliberately so, perhaps.

"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Marvin the paranoid android.

"The Black Hole". Maximillian to be sure, but I would probably include 
Vincent in this category as well.

"Doctor Who". K-9. Clearly property, even if nicely-treated property.

Someone already mentioned "Bicentennial Man".

The examples from print literature are even more extensive, if less at 
my fingertips. In fact, I can think of many more instances where AI 
robots were considered inferior to humans than the reverse... 
"Transformers" comes to mind (trivial though it may seem, it plays well 
into the theme that robots with human-level intellects are independent 
actors).

Joseph



Mark Walker wrote:

> I would be interested if anyone has examples
> from fiction or non-fiction where it is assumed that it is morally
> permissible to own human-level robots.