Some notes on robots, emotion, and human society
"BUT YOU ARE A MACHINE. THINGS HAVE NO DESIRES. A DOORKNOB WANTS NOTHING, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A COMPLEX MACHINE.
+++All things strive.+++"
-Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
Robots in Pluto, like those in Astro Boy, are able to reach Ridiculously Human levels. As clearly shown in Pluto, robots can be made so that they are visually indistinguishable from humans, are able to eat and drink human food, and be equipped with A.I. so advanced they even have a subconscious. Androids can dream of electric sheep.
But robots aren't humans. Which creates some interesting issues.
Robots are capable of emotion. The capacity is built into even middle-of-the-road A.I. at this point, but it's very rare that a robot will display emotion soon after being created. To a large extent it's a learned behavior, born out of experience (think Blade Runner). However, robots are built so that most of them can never achieve the intensity of emotion that humans are capable of. This is to help keep them compliant with the Robot Laws, notably Article 13, which states that a robot may not kill a human being.*
Robots, quite simply, think differently from humans. With the exceptions of the very most advanced, it requires effort for them to think in terms that are not objective. Unless their memories are deliberately altered, they have perfect recall. They don't make movements that don't have a definite use. In spite of this, most robots do try to be as human as possible. They go out to dinner, even if their experience of food is one of analyzing the components, rather than savoring the taste. They take vacations, even if purely because it is recommended. They mimic human family structures, even if they must go through a long process to be permitted to adopt a robot child.
In spite of these efforts to become integrated into a societal structure created and run by humans, robots are constantly reminded of their status. The Robot Laws grant them some important rights, but also restrict their freedoms and behavior. And many humans simply cannot respect robots as people. Robots are belittled, mistrusted, and generally treated as second-class citizens.
Some robots refuse to even act human, embracing the fact that they are completely separate. Such robots may actively resist learning emotion. Many more robots are conflicted about learning human behavior, given what humans are capable of (i.e. war). Nevertheless, robots continue to develop, and most of them grow closer to humans.
So what does this mean for Gesicht?
Gesicht is one of the most advanced robots in the world. He has a remarkable ability to think and learn. And feel. Gesicht's emotions are usually subdued, but he has a full range of emotion, made stronger by his experiences- on the job, in the war, with Helena. He's learned a lot, even a sense of humor.
But the way his emotions have strenthened over time has been subtle, and he doesn't really realize that they've become as strong as they have. He also doesn't quite realize the extent to which he displays them. While in human terms he is remarkably subdued, expressing emotion almost exclusively through small changes in facial expression and slight shifts in posture, the fact that these movements are consistently there and noticeable to someone paying attention is part of what marks him as incredibly advanced.
A large part of the fact he doesn't realize he frequently shows emotion is due to his environment. People tell him all the time that a robot cannot understand what it's like to feel, and he believes that that must be at least partially true. And because robots are acknowledged to have little to no emotion, the humans around him don't respond to him as if he is displaying emotion, even when he is.
The fact remains, though, that except in the most extreme of cases, his initial responses are objective. It is often shortly followed by an emotional response, but emotional responses are by no means dominant, they aren't even close to equal (though how far he can go with certain emotions may even the scales a bit...but we won't go into that now). A strong emotion must be developed over some time, or be a reaction to an emotion that has already developed in that way.
Gesicht has developed a measure of empathy, through experience and observation. For example, he genuinely has sympathy for those who have experienced loss or a certain measure of oppression, and he will go out of his way to do more for them than is required by his job. It's mainly due to this that he has formed something of an emotional attachment to his function. Beyond his built-in imperative to work, he wants to work and do a good job, because he sees the value in helping people.
*An interesting note about the Robot Laws of Astro Boy, and by extension Pluto, is that their effect is similar to that of laws on humans. Compliance can be built in, but it's not always. While a number of the rules are similar, they're different from Asimov's Laws of Robotics.
+++All things strive.+++"
-Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
Robots in Pluto, like those in Astro Boy, are able to reach Ridiculously Human levels. As clearly shown in Pluto, robots can be made so that they are visually indistinguishable from humans, are able to eat and drink human food, and be equipped with A.I. so advanced they even have a subconscious. Androids can dream of electric sheep.
But robots aren't humans. Which creates some interesting issues.
Robots are capable of emotion. The capacity is built into even middle-of-the-road A.I. at this point, but it's very rare that a robot will display emotion soon after being created. To a large extent it's a learned behavior, born out of experience (think Blade Runner). However, robots are built so that most of them can never achieve the intensity of emotion that humans are capable of. This is to help keep them compliant with the Robot Laws, notably Article 13, which states that a robot may not kill a human being.*
Robots, quite simply, think differently from humans. With the exceptions of the very most advanced, it requires effort for them to think in terms that are not objective. Unless their memories are deliberately altered, they have perfect recall. They don't make movements that don't have a definite use. In spite of this, most robots do try to be as human as possible. They go out to dinner, even if their experience of food is one of analyzing the components, rather than savoring the taste. They take vacations, even if purely because it is recommended. They mimic human family structures, even if they must go through a long process to be permitted to adopt a robot child.
In spite of these efforts to become integrated into a societal structure created and run by humans, robots are constantly reminded of their status. The Robot Laws grant them some important rights, but also restrict their freedoms and behavior. And many humans simply cannot respect robots as people. Robots are belittled, mistrusted, and generally treated as second-class citizens.
Some robots refuse to even act human, embracing the fact that they are completely separate. Such robots may actively resist learning emotion. Many more robots are conflicted about learning human behavior, given what humans are capable of (i.e. war). Nevertheless, robots continue to develop, and most of them grow closer to humans.
So what does this mean for Gesicht?
Gesicht is one of the most advanced robots in the world. He has a remarkable ability to think and learn. And feel. Gesicht's emotions are usually subdued, but he has a full range of emotion, made stronger by his experiences- on the job, in the war, with Helena. He's learned a lot, even a sense of humor.
But the way his emotions have strenthened over time has been subtle, and he doesn't really realize that they've become as strong as they have. He also doesn't quite realize the extent to which he displays them. While in human terms he is remarkably subdued, expressing emotion almost exclusively through small changes in facial expression and slight shifts in posture, the fact that these movements are consistently there and noticeable to someone paying attention is part of what marks him as incredibly advanced.
A large part of the fact he doesn't realize he frequently shows emotion is due to his environment. People tell him all the time that a robot cannot understand what it's like to feel, and he believes that that must be at least partially true. And because robots are acknowledged to have little to no emotion, the humans around him don't respond to him as if he is displaying emotion, even when he is.
The fact remains, though, that except in the most extreme of cases, his initial responses are objective. It is often shortly followed by an emotional response, but emotional responses are by no means dominant, they aren't even close to equal (though how far he can go with certain emotions may even the scales a bit...but we won't go into that now). A strong emotion must be developed over some time, or be a reaction to an emotion that has already developed in that way.
Gesicht has developed a measure of empathy, through experience and observation. For example, he genuinely has sympathy for those who have experienced loss or a certain measure of oppression, and he will go out of his way to do more for them than is required by his job. It's mainly due to this that he has formed something of an emotional attachment to his function. Beyond his built-in imperative to work, he wants to work and do a good job, because he sees the value in helping people.
*An interesting note about the Robot Laws of Astro Boy, and by extension Pluto, is that their effect is similar to that of laws on humans. Compliance can be built in, but it's not always. While a number of the rules are similar, they're different from Asimov's Laws of Robotics.