As robots are becoming more and more advanced the images we see depicted in movies are becoming the reality. And with this new reality, we must also lay down an ethical code for the creation and treatment of robots.
Humans have know that with the creation of intellegent machines a code of ethics must go hand in hand. Issac Asimov's I, Robot (from the 1940s) details the first ponderings into such a dilemma.
The Three Laws of Robotics
1. Robots must never harm human beings or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. Robots must follow instructions from humans without violating rule 1.
3. Robots must protect themselves without violating the other rules.
For anyone who has read/seen I, Robot knows that these rules will be invalid as soon as robots are equipped with better programs to learn from their experiences.
Currently, some scientists have brought such discussions to the forefront.
"There are two levels of priority," says Gianmarco Verruggio, a roboticist at the Institute of Intelligent Systems for Automation in Genoa, northern Italy, and chief architect of the guide, to be published next month.
"We have to manage the ethics of the scientists making the robots and the artificial ethics inside the robots."
"Security, safety and sex are the big concerns," says Henrik Christensen, a member of the Euron ethics group.
"I would hope they would always be subordinate," says science fiction writer Brian Aldiss. "But one will no doubt come to rely on them deeply."
How far should robots be allowed to influence people's lives? How can accidents be avoided? Can deliberate harm be prevented? And what happens if robots turn out to be sexy? Should we allow robots to execute force (as with crowd control)?
Robots are currently conducting surgery, solving complex equations, predicting the future and the past, look simular to humans, and can emulate humans. Having sex with robots isn't that far off into the future -- should we limit their visual appeal?
Many questions and concerns come to mind -- especially taking into consideration that we will likely have robots with 'experience' they can learn from by the year 2020!
I don't even know how to go about pondering all the implications of artifical intellegence (and of course prevent the inevitable robot war on mankind that will follow).
I would like to leave you with lyrics from the Flaming Lips song "One More Robot - Sympathy 3000-21"
Unit three thousand twenty one is warning
Makes a humming sound - when its circuits
Duplicate emotions - and a sense of coldness detaches
As it tries to comfort your sadness -
One more robot learns to be something more than
A machine - when it tries the way it does - make it seem
Like it can love -
Cause it's hard to say what's real - when you know the
Why you feel - is it wrong to think it's love
When it tries the way it does...
Feeling a synthetic kind of love
Dreaming a sympathetic wish -
As the lights blink faster and brighter -
One more robot learns to be something more than
A machine - when it tries the way it does - make it seem
Like it can love -
Cause it's hard to say what's real - when you know the
Why you feel - is it wrong to think it's love
When it tries the way it does...
italics from: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19526085-38200,00.html
lyrics from: http://www.flaminglips.com/main.php
(PS If you haven't listened to the Flaming Lips, I highly recommend them. I love this band! So provocative,
psychadelic, meaningful, and beautiful all at the same time.)
http://www.e4engineering.com/Articles/295021/Teaching%20robot%20dogs%20linguistic%20tricks.htm
This article is about scientists in Italy creating robot dogs that develop their own language.
“The result is machines that evolve and develop by themselves without human intervention,” said Stefano Nolfi, the coordinator the ECAgents project.
So the ground work is already laid, now we just wait for the 'human' versions...
I dont think it is really possible for robots to become like they are in that movie.
Did you read the link I posted in the comment section?!?!
These dog robots that were created have COMPLETELY EVOLVED their own language, games, rules of interaction, etc. They have come quite a ways in a short time. Why would this technology be scrapped? It works well.
Also, once equipped with "curiousity' (as the "dogs" I mentioned above) and the ability to learn from their own experiences (also available) -- we only have one hurdle left -- to enable robots to emulate emotions. As it goes now, we understand more and more about the chemical reactions that create thoughts, understandings, and emotions. The way to program these robots is all in figuring out our own innerworkings. Many computer programs are based on the way a human mind works already -- so when we fully understand it, we can reproduce it in machines.
This is really a lot closer than many people suspect. And most advancements are not American -- thus we don't hear much about them.
As a side note...
almost every new technology was introduced to humans in the form of science fiction---
space travel
computers
robots
automated systems
invisibility
war machines
medical science
implanted chips in beings (animals and humans)
I can guaruntee you that what we see as only sci-fi WILL one day be reality!
We are all, in a sense, cyborgs.... beings that have a part of technology... i mean, even outside of pacemakers and stuff we are all dependant on our computers, psychologically, right? take away technology now and you'd be depressed and not know what to do for a while.... and we just keep needing mroe and more..