3 ms·
It will entirely be a question of politics, not science or philosophy. The track record is we deny rights to those we deem too different from us, then we later
by pbw 13y ago
It will entirely be a question of politics, not science or philosophy. The track record is we deny rights to those we deem too different from us, then we later see the light and include them. Think about women or other races. This will happen with virtual beings. There will never be any proof they are conscious, there can't be, but we'll have to decide anyway how to label them. We won't agree that is for sure, it will be like the debate around abortion only more divisive and more significant. We will never definitively decide, we'll still be debating right on into our obsolescence.
- guscost 13y agoWould you agree that today many people ascribe consciousness to dogs and other mammals? Keeping in mind that most mammals don't speak English, I'd assume that many people would befriend this hypothetical technology in the "dog phase" or earlier. Also, as a group women and other races have been considered more different, then less different, without actually changing from one to the other. The same couldn't necessarily be said about AI projects.
- pbw 13y agoMost people believe their dogs are less conscious than they are, but more conscious than gold fish, etc. I agree AI will achieve various levels of consciousness at various times, starting well below us and ending up well above us.