Robots Could Demand Legal Rights

Posted by Kate Luther Dec 22, 2006

You'd think we would have learned something from the movies, right?

Didn't anyone else see The Matrix? iRobot? Or even the classic Terminator movies. They all follow the same premise that one day - should mankind follow their dream to build AI-enhanced robots - we're likely to be faced with a mechanical revolution.

And according to a recent study by the British government, those movies have it right.

Commissioned by the UK Office of Science and Innovation's Horizon Scanning Centre, the 246 paper takes a very forward look at future trends in science, health and technology. Robots it says, could one day expect adequate housing, healthcare and other social benefits that we mostly take for granted. It refers to a potential "monumental shift" that could occur in the event the robots begin to reproduce or master self-improvement such as artificial intelligence.

And all of this could take place the paper says, in the next 20 to 50 years.

Now, I'm all for scientific advancement and I have to admit - technology just gets me psyched. But I'm also very aware of that invisible line that says "do not cross" and I think this could be one of those times. Why? Because we can't find a way to live together peacefully now. What makes us think throwing another independent, self-aware organism into the mix is going to make things better?

Do I think robots would be cool? Absolutely and the genius behind the process astounds me. But I also know that as arrogant as we may think we deserve to be, mankind hasn't even begun to understand the "big picture" yet.

And until we do, I'd say its best we leave the process of creation to Mother Nature.