This is ridiculous, sounds like something straight from a sci movie..

ElRazur · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:07

Robots could one day demand the same citizen's rights as humans, according to a study by the British government.
If granted, countries would be obligated to provide social benefits including housing and even "robo-healthcare", the report says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6200005.stm

What happened to this? -
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

JollyGreen · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:08

I think some committee ran out of things to think up

Jez · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:09

How can a bundle of wires, metal and plastic, with no feelings, that can be powered off at the flick of a switch, ever be given human rights?

Utterly ridiculous.

Red and White · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:10

Martin Robot King

"I have an artifically enchanced 8 million polygons dream, that..."

Jotun · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:10

If that is serious

I honestly didn't think that things could get any more daft. How wrong I was

TheOtherOption · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:12

They're coming to take over i tell you - first this then they'll want to run for president/prime minister >.<

Its just as all those Sci-Fi films have predicted

The Running Man · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:12

Jez said:
How can a bundle of wires, metal and plastic, with no feelings, that can be powered off at the flick of a switch, ever be given human rights?

Utterly ridiculous.

disgard the wires and you have summed up many a politician, should they be given human rights?

[ASSE]Hinchy · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:13

....according to a study by the British government.

Wonderful how you're hard earned taxes are spent eh

Clearly there isn't enough interesting stuff to report today so they've made something up instead.

/EDIT - Sorry just read through the article and that must be a windup...

The paper says a "monumental shift" could occur if robots develop to the point where they can reproduce....

TheCrow · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:13

Think they got bored and wached AI at work?

ElRazur · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:14

How exactly do you go about creating a Robohealthcare? Oh a maintainace site of some sort?

iCraig · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:14

Jez said:
How can a bundle of wires, metal and plastic, with no feelings, that can be powered off at the flick of a switch, ever be given human rights?

Interesting how you say, with no feelings.

Presently, you're correct, our current robots are automated machines, their artificial intelligence is pre-programmed. However, in the future we could manufacture machines with much more complex programming.

If you break down the human conciousness, what is it? Neuro-chemical reactions firing millions of times per second within our brains. A robots brain? Electrical reactions firing millions of times per second.

It wouldn't be a million miles away.

Red and White · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:15

iCraig said:
Interesting how you say, with no feelings.

Presently, you're correct, our current robots are automated machines, their artificial intelligence is pre-programmed. However, in the future we could manufacture machines with much more complex programming.

If you break down the human conciousness, what is it? Neuro-chemical reactions firing millions of times per second within our brains. A robots brain? Electrical reactions firing millions of times per second.

It wouldn't be a million miles away.

the old soul argument then comes in to play

ElRazur · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:17

iCraig said:
Interesting how you say, with no feelings.

Presently, you're correct, our current robots are automated machines, their artificial intelligence is pre-programmed. However, in the future we could manufacture machines with much more complex programming.

If you break down the human conciousness, what is it? Neuro-chemical reactions firing millions of times per second within our brains. A robots brain? Electrical reactions firing millions of times per second.

It wouldn't be a million miles away.

While i share you dream of the future, i still think robots will be limited to what they are programmed to do. How exactly do you go about creating a feeling of happiness, Orgasm or sorrow. Perhaps things like reacting to a threat, knowing when to power down when there is low power etc but then this is still down to programming and not an autonomy decision.

Glaucus · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:18

Jez said:
How can a bundle of wires, metal and plastic, with no feelings, that can be powered off at the flick of a switch, ever be given human rights?

Utterly ridiculous.

If you give them true ai and the power to keep theselfs alive they would infect be no different to animals. How many rights have the stypid animal rights people given animals...

Robots are going to be a big part of human life, however I'm not sure in which way.

ElRazur said:
While i share you dream of the future, i still think robots will be limited to what they are programmed to do. How exactly do you go about creating a feeling of happiness, Orgasm or sorrow. Perhaps things like reacting to a threat, knowing when to power down when there is low power etc but then this is still down to programming and not an autonomy decision.

True ai would be self learning, much as humans are. I'm sure a baby doesn't know what sorrow is or happiness. It's only though the release of hormones and more imprtant the look on other peoples faces.

[ASSE]Hinchy · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:18

ElRazur said:
Orgasm

lol I have a vision of a robot orgasming now!

Vibrating crazily, "uuuuuuuuhhhhhoooooooohhhhhhh", sparks flying everywhere, hahaha. Think I'll walk out the office now. Everyone must think I'm going mad...

D.P. · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:19

Jez said:
How can a bundle of wires, metal and plastic, with no feelings, that can be powered off at the flick of a switch, ever be given human rights?

Utterly ridiculous.

What are feelings?

Why would they necessarilly be made from wire, metal and plastic?

Why would there have to be a power switch?

What about robot rights and not human rights? Animals have animal rights?

Jez · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:19

iCraig said:
Interesting how you say, with no feelings.

Presently, you're correct, our current robots are automated machines, their artificial intelligence is pre-programmed. However, in the future we could manufacture machines with much more complex programming.

If you break down the human conciousness, what is it? Neuro-chemical reactions firing millions of times per second within our brains. A robots brain? Electrical reactions firing millions of times per second.

It wouldn't be a million miles away.

Can. Worms. Everywhere.

I personally do not believe from my understanding of computer programming that true artificial intellegance is really possible, we may come close with thinking machines but at the end of the day they are still machines and will never be able to give the spontaneous reaction that a human would, in theory all machines off the same production line would lead identical "lives" given the same surroundings and interactions as their code can only lead one path - absolutely nothing like human beings. And even if it were i do not see any need for it whatsoever. We invent machines to serve a purpose, we do not need or want them to think.

LOL @ the politician comment

Samtheman1k · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:19

This report is designed to provoke a response, as it has and as it says so in the article. It doesn't mean it is true, likely, or even possible.

badgermonkey · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:19

ElRazur said:
While i share you dream of the future, i still think robots will be limited to what they are programmed to do. How exactly do you go about creating a feeling of happiness, Orgasm or sorrow. Perhaps things like reacting to a threat, knowing when to power down when there is low power etc but then this is still down to programming and not an autonomy decision.

I've got a much more important question than 'how?'

Why??? Why would we EVER want to program that sort of thing?

TheCrow · 21 Dec 2006 at 15:21

but its can be down to program which can update its self from what it expereances - from there you get the same as us.

we are all programed with the basics, no one had to teach me to breath, or how my hart should beat but they did teach me how to read, and play games. its just the same.

life is just a series of 1's and 0's. or positive/negitive in our case.