I think we're going to see debates similar to those surrounding the conception and birth of Louise Brown in 1978.Mr-Smith wrote:Sound an awful lot like what many doll owners here already know (feel). I think this maybe a natural evolution of things; something/one makes man -> man makes machine -> man make machine in their own image -> ??? . Of course I read quite a bit of Asimov in my younger days, and although some of the details are fuzzy now, the concepts are nothing new. It's interesting to see were this will all lead .katiesBoyfriend wrote: Often, the results for those people are quite favourable, indicating that being around those machines made their lives much easier.
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For example, what would the legal status of a robot be? Would it be a machine? What about those that look like humans? How about those that look like animals? (K-9 from Doctor Who may have vaguely looked like a dog, saw itself as a dog, and was considered to be a dog--albeit a clever one--by the Doctor. But was it a dog and did laws governing the treatment of animals apply in its--his?--case?)
Would a robot be entitled to legal protection? Could someone be committing a crime if that person abuses a robot? What would constitute "abuse"?
Would a robot that looks like, say, a human female be considered female? Would it be accorded all the rights and privileges that a human female has? What about those robots that look more like filing cabinets or washing machines?
Could someone marry a robot that looks like a human? Would that robot be legally considered a husband or a wife? Would inheritance laws apply to it?
Would a robot have legal obligations? Would one be required to pay income tax or be conscripted into the military?
Who would decide these issues? The courts? Legislatures?
Issues such as these have been examined in science fiction literature, movies, and TV shows, but the day will come when societies and legal jurisdictions will have to address them.