[Mb-civic] Giving Robots Souls

[Cheeseburger]

Giving Robots Souls

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/science/story/0,12996,1403780,00.html?gus

(excerpt)

Kim, a leading authority on technology and ethics of robotics, said:
"Christians may not like it, but we must consider this the origin of an
artificial species. Until now, most researchers in this field have focused
only on the functionality of the machines, but we think in terms of the
essence of the creatures." That "essence" is a computer code, which
determines a robot's propensity to "feel" happy, sad, angry, sleepy, hungry
or afraid. Kim says this software is modelled on human DNA, though
equivalent to a single strand of genetic code rather than the complex double
helix of a real chromosome.

Kim said: "Robots will have their own personalities and emotion and - as
films like I Robot warn - that could be very dangerous for humanity. If we
can provide a robot with good - soft - chromosomes, they may not be such a
threat."



"Uncle Cheeseburger.........!!"

"Yes, kids..."

"Did you ever make it with a robot....?"

"Well, yes, yes I did, but that was a very long time ago.  I remember she
was a brunette..."

"Was it better than your real girlfriend, Uncle Cheeseburger...?"

"Well, I don't know, science had come a long way by then, things were
changing faster than people could keep up with them anymore, and then she
walked into the restaurant I was working in and ordered a nice hot pastrami
sandwich on rye with mustard..."

"What happened then, Uncle Cheeseburger...?"

"Well, I took one look at her, fainted, and the next thing I know she was
giving me robot to human resuscitation, put me in a cab, took me back to her
apartment, and the rest is history...."

"What do you mean the rest is history, Uncle Cheeseburger..."

"Well, I can't talk about that.  Your mother will be home soon and I'm
tired..."

"You always stop right at the best part and leave us hanging, Uncle
Cheeseburger.  That sucks..."

"Yes, yes it does, kids, but there's just some things between a robot and a
human that are best left unsaid..."

"Ok, Uncle Cheeseburger, we understand..."

"Good, kids, I knew you would, well, night, kids...."

"Night, Uncle Cheeseburger....."

Click.

"So did he make it with a robot or not...?"

"Yeah, I think he did, or he wouldn't have told us the story..."

"Is that why he's so strange....?"

"No, everybody back then made it with robots, he's just like that
naturally..."

"Oh, ok..."

"Ok...."

"Night, Jimi..."

"Night, Judi...."


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