Is what would be a crime if committed against a human still so when perpetrated upon an intelligent robot? Do intelligent robots have rights, and if so, how do they compare with those of humans or of lower animals? Can they be “enslaved”? Can one criminally assault or sexually molest a robot?

Artificial vs Biological Life

Write a short essay discussing the essential differences between artificial life and biological life, and the impact of approaching technology in this area.

(Note that by “artificial life” I am simply referring to the result of amalgamating artificial intelligence/machine learning with robotics, resulting in independently intelligent machines. I deliberately left these two words in lower case, as I am not referring any previously defined term, e.g., that discipline named by Christopher Langton.)

This topic has been debated for many years, with no definitive answers, yet a host of elaborate suggestions and hypotheses. We all seem to know innately the difference, or at least that there is a difference. Perhaps it is relegated to the paraphrased words of the late Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, “we know it when we see it”. But such is not an acceptable guideline upon which to base the future of humanity.

Technology, replete with robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, real-time simulated experiences, and dare I say, artificial life, is rapidly dragging us into facing and even legislating the basic questions of human existence and what constitutes acceptable societal interactions.

For example: Is what would be a crime if committed against a human still so when perpetrated upon an intelligent robot? Do intelligent robots have rights, and if so, how do they compare with those of humans or of lower animals? Can they be “enslaved”? Can one criminally assault or sexually molest a robot? Can intelligent robots be held responsible for their self-generated actions? If not, why not; and if so, how?

These are just a few of the questions that humanity may soon be facing, and best start contemplating, as our “devices” start becoming ever more sophisticated androids, complete with unique personalities, simulated compassion, faked empathy, simulated pain reactions, simulated ambition, suffering, desires, goals, and dreams, and psychotic disorders — and what of negative personality traits, like being stubborn, short tempered, cruel, evil, selfish, bullying, all coupled with the ability to out think the best of us in both speed and quality.