Robotic age poses ethical dilemma (Insanity).

BBC ^ | Wednesday, March 7, 2007

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

In Pictures: Robot menagerie

An ethical code to prevent humans abusing robots, and vice versa, is being drawn up by South Korea.

The Robot Ethics Charter will cover standards for users and manufacturers and will be released later in 2007.

It is being put together by a five member team of experts that includes futurists and a science fiction writer.

The South Korean government has identified robotics as a key economic driver and is pumping millions of dollars into research.

"The government plans to set ethical guidelines concerning the roles and functions of robots as robots are expected to develop strong intelligence in the near future," the ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said.

Ethical questions

South Korea is one of the world's most hi-tech societies.

Citizens enjoy some of the highest speed broadband connections in the world and have access to advanced mobile technology long before it hits western markets.

The government is also well known for its commitment to future technology.

ASIMOV'S LAWS OF ROBOTICS 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

A recent government report forecast that robots would routinely carry out surgery by 2018.

The Ministry of Information and Communication has also predicted that every South Korean household will have a robot by between 2015 and 2020.

In part, this is a response to the country's aging society and also an acknowledgement that the pace of development in robotics is accelerating.

The new charter is an attempt to set ground rules for this future.

"Imagine if some people treat androids as if the machines were their wives," Park Hye-Young of the ministry's robot team told the AFP news agency.

"Others may get addicted to interacting with them just as many internet users get hooked to the cyberworld."

Alien encounters

The new guidelines could reflect the three laws of robotics put forward by author Isaac Asimov in his short story Runaround in 1942, she said.

Key considerations would include ensuring human control over robots, protecting data acquired by robots and preventing illegal use.

Other bodies are also thinking about the robotic future. Last year a UK government study predicted that in the next 50 years robots could demand the same rights as human beings.

The European Robotics Research Network is also drawing up a set of guidelines on the use of robots.

This ethical roadmap has been assembled by researchers who believe that robotics will soon come under the same scrutiny as disciplines such as nuclear physics and Bioengineering.

A draft of the proposals said: "In the 21st Century humanity will coexist with the first alien intelligence we have ever come into contact with - robots.

"It will be an event rich in ethical, social and economic problems."

Their proposals are expected to be issued in Rome in April.

[MikeGranby]

"The Cylons were created by man..."

[M203M4]

Last year a UK government study predicted that in the next 50 years robots could demand the same rights as human beings.

Oh come on. "Progressivism" finds a novel way to further "progress" down the gutter into a realm of absolute stupidity. The left-wingers, with their envirofascism, animal "rights" extremism, economic backwardness, hatred of military research, hatred of pharmaceuticals, hatred of biotech, and hatred of modern farming methods, want to cripple another area of research by giving machines a "bill of rights". They are blowing away the competition to become the title-holder chamption luddites.

These freaks are going to cripple science in the west, while the east continues unshackled. Competition is good, but these handicaps are not. Even in my research I get hassled by ethicists (left-wing lawyers, sociologists, the full gamut of worthlessly degreed, and other drinkers from the fountain of stupid that don't know the first thing about science, but seem adept at trying to cripple it nonetheless).

Sorry for the rant that has only marginally to do with the article...

[Charles Martel]

We can still blast robot spys when we find them, though.... right?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Depends on whether you consider sentience connected to intelligence. Robots may indeed become smarter than humans (not necessarily wiser), but they aren't and won't be sentient.

[mkjessup]

Long ago, in the literary world far far before Star Wars, Star Trek, or any of that stuff, was an author by the name of Lester del Ray, and I read the following book and thought it was one of the greatest novels ever. If you can find a copy, it is WELL worth reading:

It is a serious book, and it addressed MANY of these issues, and that was 1965. Hint: have some Kleenex.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

You bring up points, but it should be pointed out the the article is about a South Korean (Eastern) proposition.

[syncked]

What will humans be accused of when they discriminate against robots? Zoe-ism? Bio-centrism? Robotophobia?

[samson1097]

"...and other drinkers from the fountain of stupid..."

Thanks for making my day =)

[knarf]

“The machine is already built but hopefully it will be released later this year,” he said.

Brrrrrrr .... that could be scarey.

[M203M4]

Yes, and the "rights" bs was referring to a British study...

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Del Rey is the book company in charge of Lucas Books, which now makes Star Wars novels (used to be Bantam Spectra--which could also have been del Rey).* So there is a bit of a connection.

* All of the Lucasbooks except for those by Timothy Zahn figuratively stink, and the vast majority of those made under Bantam Spectra were decent.

[SampleMan]

Does this mean robots will be eligible for welfare?

[BenLurkin]

An ethical code to prevent humans abusing robots??????????

[discostu]

If they have sensory input they can decypher and a sense of self they'll be sentient. It's really the sense of self that's the big hurdle (decyphering sensory input is coming along very well), and big danger. A sense of self will include the ability to decide the situation they're in sucks, that's when the bad things would start to happen unless there's a lot of programmed restraints. Of course being a QA engineer I'm not sure I really want to trust programmed restraints, we're better off making sure they don't decide the situation they're in sucks. You don't want to be the foreman the day the fully mobile robot that can carry 2 tons and has a built in welder decides management are a bunch of a##&*les, which is the whole problem with the "ethical slave" idea, no type of slavery is ever really ethical to the slave.

[Disambiguator]

The article didn't mention sexual use/abuse of robots. I'm sure they will be built for that purpose, too.

This quote from the article barely touches on that subject:

"Imagine if some people treat androids as if the machines were their wives," Park Hye-Young of the ministry's robot team told the AFP news agency.

Anyone who read Asimov's "Foundation Trilogy" and all the other novels that went with it knows that the robots had, uh, "capabilities".

Maybe Park Hye-Young is imagining an android wife is something he might enjoy.

[capitalist229]

Sentient ? We haven't even reverse engineered the human brain yet. According to the most optimistic projections that won't happen until 2020 (Kurzweil).

Do you even realize how much it will then take to simulate human intelligence ? I give it another 25 years minimum for a room sized appliance on the HAL 9000 level.

Then another 10 years to miniaturize it for a home robot.

Maybe in our lifetimes.

BUMP

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

This has made it to one of the front page articles on the BBC News homepage, and is the most read and second most emailed article.

Although interesting, it shouldn't be one of the three main articles (at least it isn't the big biggy article (the Indonesian plane crash)).

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

science fiction ping?

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

As of the time of the post, of course.

[chuckles]

....."What will humans be accused of when they discriminate"......

Coultergist!