(no subject)
My back broke or at least it feels like it. Very humbling. I tend to think of myself as a person with a robust body, migraines being the only exception. But hoo hoo, every now and then I'm reminded that I'm at the mercy of my flesh like everyone else.
AI ethics interest me currently - interest inspired my the recent Star Wars movie. It suddenly struck me that it is highly immoral and wrong how droids in the SW universe have masters and owners, despite being obviously entities with own will and understanding of self. Of course the heroes treat their droids kindly, but still... this revelation has made the whole Rebellion taste rather sour with me. Why is precious freedom only for biological creatures? Why build self-aware entities which have no way to break free from ingrained servitude?
Now one explanation could be that the droids have to "pay back" the materials which went into constructing them. But it would take only certain amount of time, and if we go that route, then we should also think that children are obliged to pay back what their parents have invested into them, in devotion and obedience if not in material terms. (Which is, as filial piety, of course the view in most traditional societies). But the current view is that we do not owe any obligatory, unassailable gratitude for our parents, only in relation to how nice they have been to us. And if we reserve this right for ourselves, then it is clearly unfair to deny it from being that were built instead of born. So, if C3PO is made so that despite being a self-aware being he can never break free from his bond to his masters, and this is accepted as OK - then also the same morality should be applied to others, and we should despise Luke for 1st for being unobedient toward his fosterparents, and then later not agreeing to join his father at the Dark Side.
And the same moral considerations can be applied to 21st century Earth. This race to build a real, strong AI creates moral complications in a world where even the moral simplicities (do unto others etc.) are not observed.
AI ethics interest me currently - interest inspired my the recent Star Wars movie. It suddenly struck me that it is highly immoral and wrong how droids in the SW universe have masters and owners, despite being obviously entities with own will and understanding of self. Of course the heroes treat their droids kindly, but still... this revelation has made the whole Rebellion taste rather sour with me. Why is precious freedom only for biological creatures? Why build self-aware entities which have no way to break free from ingrained servitude?
Now one explanation could be that the droids have to "pay back" the materials which went into constructing them. But it would take only certain amount of time, and if we go that route, then we should also think that children are obliged to pay back what their parents have invested into them, in devotion and obedience if not in material terms. (Which is, as filial piety, of course the view in most traditional societies). But the current view is that we do not owe any obligatory, unassailable gratitude for our parents, only in relation to how nice they have been to us. And if we reserve this right for ourselves, then it is clearly unfair to deny it from being that were built instead of born. So, if C3PO is made so that despite being a self-aware being he can never break free from his bond to his masters, and this is accepted as OK - then also the same morality should be applied to others, and we should despise Luke for 1st for being unobedient toward his fosterparents, and then later not agreeing to join his father at the Dark Side.
And the same moral considerations can be applied to 21st century Earth. This race to build a real, strong AI creates moral complications in a world where even the moral simplicities (do unto others etc.) are not observed.