Weirdness

[P.C.]

Kind makes you think twice about acquiring another 'dependant', (even if they could change diapers).

This has got to be a joke....right?

   [FONT size=+1]LEAD STORY[/FONT]

[!--END_TITLE--][!--BEGIN_TEXT--]Eventually, robots will have to be given legal rights (and accept certain responsibilities) if advances in artificial intelligence (AI) continue to create sensitive quasi-organisms, according to a paper solicited for Sir David King, the UK's chief scientist. According to one AI researcher, "If (robots are) granted full rights, states will be obligated to provide full social benefits to them including income support, housing and possibly robo-healthcare to fix the machines over time." A December Financial Times report on the paper noted that robots might also have to pay taxes and be available for military service. (Some of the ideas in the paper track visions described years ago by writer Isaac Asimov.) [Financial Times, 12-19-06]  

[Russ]

This is a liberal theory..

  And sad to say I can see some bleeding hearts going for this.

  Just think, half of the complainers go on about immigration. Well dont worry, soon they will complaining about your remote control car taking their hard earned tax dollars.

[Lise]

Wow. Interesting. I don't believe they should be given any rights though, they're machines afterall... then again, things might change in the near future which will make us reconsider what is real and what isn't.

[Sportsdude]

Well sorry Russ but Blade Runner will become a reality some day.  What if we engineer the robots so well that they take human form and can even pro-create?

Granted we are know where near that but I could see this happening.  Its plausible.

[Gopher]

I agree with you Sportsdude, and I think that the time will come far sooner than we presently expect.

[Sportsdude]

yeah people can call it a 'liberal' theory but the fact is this could happen.

  If this was the TV show Mythbusters they have different verdicts on myths

Busted- myth is just a myth

Plausible- could happen

Confirmed- true the myth is true

  This is Plausible and if robots and science evolves it could become probable.

[P.C.]

I have great faith in science and technology, but you'll never be able to convince me that they will be able to synthetically manufacture emotion.....ever.

[Gopher]

Politicians synthetically manufacture it quite well  - and most of them are more akin to robots than human beings.