Are We Ready for Conscious Robots?

So I was sitting in the library the other day and I was looking at a rather interesting but heavy coffee table book. The thought occurred to me.

“If I had a personal robot, it could hold this book for me to read, and turn the pages!”

Now if I take that idea a step or 3 forward, what if I gave that robot an AI brain that was capable of conscious self realisation?

I’d be sitting in the Library with a mechanical and conscious and highly intelligent, being… treating it in a way that you would not treat a human being.

Would this be a double standard? I wouldn’t want to treat another human like this, but something that was part machine?

One thought that came to mind was – this is probably the behavior of a slave owner!

I keep going back to the movie Prometheus, where David the IA robot (who is in the end a bad robot) has the following conversation with Charlie Holloway just as they are suiting up to explore the mysterious planet they have just landed on – it’s about 24 Min in from the start. The conversation goes like this.

Charlie Holloway
David Why are you wearing a suit man?

David
I beg your pardon?

Charlie Holloway
You don’t breathe remember … so why wear a suit?

David
I was designed like this, because you people are more comfortable, interacting with your own kind. If I didn’t wear the suit it would defeat the purpose.

Charlie Holloway
Making you guys pretty close ha?

David
Not to close I hope.

Snicker from Charlie!

All of this brings up the issue not only of decent behavior of a human and robot (not to mention a robot and a human) but also, would a protocol be part of social evolution?

I remember a line from a documentary about the Amish people and the conversation was with a young woman who was of marriageable age. When asked how she would find a good partner she said.

Always look at how a man treats his horse!

Good advice indeed!

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