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Can a robot be a person?

MaxMad244

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Jan 1, 2022
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no.

We can never define what a person is but we know a robot can never be a person from experience. Never. No chance. Can a Sun be a Bear? You don't need to define them to know the answer.
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
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Only some definitions of "person" specify "human" -- and then only because "person" is a term from human language.

If you go by the definition of a collection of traits and some kind of autonomous will, a robot can most definitely be a person. The category is bigger than "physical human." I would say also both a sun and a bear can be a person if they have a personality and a will... although you will not find a sun that is a person unless you are discussing fantasy or mythology. Those things can't be "humans" but they can be "persons" depending on the situation.
 

Polaris

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The only way to detect personhood is to utilize the Turing Test. Any object that passes the test by acting convincingly like a person has everything possible in favor of it being, in fact, a person. Can robots pass the test? Not right now, generally speaking, but they almost certainly will be able to in the future.
 

Pionart

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Only if a spirit was somehow able to animate the robot. I think this is possible.

After all, it is not just our genetics but the spirit which inhabits the body that makes one a person.
 

Siúil a Rúin

when the colors fade
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I love robots, but also feel concerned. In the short-term the trajectory is to have robots replace tasks that create suffering in creatures. At first it won't bother them, but I understand why scifi writers project a conflict in the future if robots develop more advanced AI resulting in sentience, but still assigned to the tasks thought to cause suffering. Although if they are created for the task and it is not at odds with their functioning, maybe it won't be a problem.

 

yeghor

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Dec 21, 2013
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Industrial and service robots probably wouldn't need sentience.

Robots in humanoid form built for companionship would inevitably lead towards greater sentience for an authentic experience of relationship I guess. Also AI aimed for complex management of human systems/societies might also need to develop sentience at some point to be able to handle the task.

I think with an advanced enough technology human body and functioning can be imitated with synthethic parts. So by developing a way to measure sentience, a lower threshold can be defined to classify AI/robots that are considered as legal individuals and others as objects/commodity.

Of course, there might still be objections based on AI/robot not having any spirit, which may or may not be quantifiable.

I, Robot
 

draon9

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robots are manmade and it is dumb to think that robots can be a person and they shouldnt have right period.
 
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