The ethics of whether or not to allow independent, non-human originating agents to be built is highly debatable, for obvious reasons. However, as to whether or

The ethics of whether or not to allow independent, non-human originating agents to be built is highly debatable, for obvious reasons. However, as to whether or not to run an emulation of someone who has volunteered their brain to such an experiment is much less murky. As long as the experiments have been agreed upon in advance, and carried out with a neutral third party observing and acting as a control, I don't see too many problems. We do that sort of experimenting with humans as a matter of course, and people being biologically based, or electronically based should not matter.