Download SHOULD ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BE GIVEN CIVIL RIGHTS

SHOULD ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE BE GIVEN
CIVIL RIGHTS
BY: ROBERT TATOIAN
Monday, July 22, 13
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WHY DID I WANT TO RESEARCH
THIS?
Now a little bit about why I chose this.
There are a few reasons that I wanted to research this topic.
1. There’s not a lot of discussion about giving Artificial Intelligence actual
rights.
2. I’m interested in the field of AI research and know about some of the
topics.
3. In relation to number 1 it’s better to have planned ahead rather than
after the fact.
Monday, July 22, 13
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HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
Research into Artificial Intelligence (AI) was pioneered by John
McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Allen Newell and Herbert Simon.
The field was officially founded in the 1950’s and until the 1970’s was
funded by the various governments around the world.
It wasn’t until around the 1990’s that AI research was truly re-funded and
in the same decade many successes with AI occurred.
Monday, July 22, 13
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CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS
When I started writing this a few questions came to mind that others
might have, in addition to my research I’ll also try to answer these.
1. Just how close are we to creating an AI?
2. Why does this matter to you?
3. They’re just computers why should they have rights?
Monday, July 22, 13
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CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS
We are getting closer to creating an Artificial Intelligence that can pass
the “Turning Test.”
The Turning Test was created by Alan Turning
The test works by having a human engage in a text conversation with
both a hidden human and computer, the test is considered to have
succeeded when the human can’t tell the difference between the two
30% of the time.
Monday, July 22, 13
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CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS
The program called “Eugene” was developed by Russian scientists.
Around 2012 this program tricked the humans 29.2% of the time. Which
is .8% away from passing the test.
No other program that I could find has come this close. Not even IBM’s
highly publicized “Watson” computer.
So why is the Turning Test so important?
The basic idea is that if you can’t tell the difference between a computer
or human than the computer is intelligent.
Monday, July 22, 13
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CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS
While we are far from creating a truly human intelligence, programs like
“Watson” and “Eugene” represent huge strides towards that goal.
This is why I think that we should start thinking about whether or not we
should give machines rights. Which ever decided will have a great impact
on the future.
However since AI is still a relatively new field and there have been no
machines that have even passed the Turning test, there is no real
academic discussion about this (at least that I could find published).
Monday, July 22, 13
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WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Monday, July 22, 13
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TWO SIDES OF A COIN
Why should we care about what rights an AI has?
It all depends on what kind of AI it is. You could, in theory, develop an AI
for every task out there, provided it has the means to execute the task.
Most if not all AI now are specialized for a particular task. We have to
decide if a construct is truly intelligent or if it’s just following a highly
specialized programing.
Monday, July 22, 13
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TWO SIDES OF A COIN
If an AI construct is truly intelligent, then what rights should it have?
An intelligent construct is hard to define because there is nothing else
like it in the world, aside from people. The definition could be similar to
the definition of a person.
One problem that arises is that all construct have to be programmed by
a person, starting out as nothing but lines of code. Since it would be
nothing more than code some say that it could never be free to use
whatever rights we give it, given that it could be reprogramed to “think” a
different way.
However an argument to that is that humans are also“programmed” by
instinct.
Monday, July 22, 13
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TWO SIDES OF A COIN
If safeguards were put in place
that prevented tampering and
the “program” had the ability
to learn, eventually there
would be little to separate it
from humans.
The new AI would be similar
to a baby needing a “parent”
to watch over it.
One example of a AI that is
continually learning and has a
desire to be human is Data
from Star Trek pictured on
right.
Monday, July 22, 13
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TWO SIDES OF A COIN
However if a “construct” is nothing more than a carefully executed
program then by that very admission it doesn’t need rights and couldn’t
do anything with them if it was given them.
Giving a program rights would essentially be the same a giving your
toaster the right to vote and your microwave freedom of speech.
If any programming is imposed on an AI construct then doesn’t infringe
on free will and wouldn’t that be a violation of any rights given? However
we don’t want our creation to turn on us, so it could be seen as
necessary.
Monday, July 22, 13
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TWO SIDES OF A COIN
So back to the question why should we care.
We should care because if a “program” can evolve and learn like a
person doesn’t that make it a person?
Keeping something that can reason and think in that capacity in any type
of captivity is immoral and should be illegal.
Finally what reason do we have to not give it rights, if it can reason and
think similarly if not better than a human?
Monday, July 22, 13
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WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY
ABOUT AI RIGHTS
Monday, July 22, 13
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VIEWS ON AI RIGHTS
Some posts on a TED conversation board:
Laszlo Kereszturi: “As regarding the question, the answer is yes, but
only if those computers are like Andrew Martin from Asimov's "The
Bicentennial Man" or "The Positronic Man". And not like Stephen
Byerley from Asimov's "Evidence" or "The Evitable Conflict".”
Farrukh Yakubov: “Computers are just machines for now. They can never chose beyond their
given capacity. Moreover they are developed and programmed by people, by engineers and
programmers. They lack freewill, even true random number generator does not exist. All actions
of a computer is just consequences of former states and inputs. Unless you give a computer a
human brain, it will always be a machine, which is the same kind as your desk lamp but a bit
complicated. Giving a right to vote to computer is nonsense. It's like giving a programmer right to
vote multiple times. Computers cannot get human rights only because there is no meaningful
ineffectual entity behind them.”
Monday, July 22, 13
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VIEWS ON AI RIGHTS
Judge Pau: “First of all, AI is computer but a computer is NOT an AI. ... I had a similar debate not too
long ago in a forum of cyberpunk movie lovers. Don't ask. ... One argue[sic] that it is the next step of
evolution, a post humane era, singularity. I disagree. Is technology invented to cope with human
imperfection or an adventure to celebrate (worship?) human excellence ? Call me archaic but to me
technology however advance[sic] is never meant to replace human[sic]. They are to complement. An
imperfect being creating another life form to me is mere an act of both irresponsibility and arrogance.”
Finally from a member of our class: “For my personal opinion i really don't think that Artificial
Intelligence would be considered similar to human meaning we wouldn't treat them the same but they
would have some privileges but if they cross some lines i feel like we would put them to sleep or
something...."
Monday, July 22, 13
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HOW DO I ANSWER MY
OWN QUESTION
Monday, July 22, 13
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MY ANSWER
Over the course of this project I’ve come to some conclusions.
1. Artificial Intelligence is far away from anything that can think like a
human.
2. There were more factors than I originally thought that would
contribute to whether or not an AI should have rights.
3. There are groups of people who are discussing this albeit small and
there is close to no serious academic discussion about it.
Monday, July 22, 13
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MY ANSWER
As for whether AI deserve rights I think that there are too many factors that aren’t
determined yet to make an accurate decision.
Both arguments have merit and perhaps there is some balance between the two.
However based on the current information and articles that I’ve read, I have to say I think
if a computer can process information similarly to a human then it should be treated
similarly to a human.
I think that at moment giving Artificial Intelligence rights seems to be the best thing to
do. I chose this answer not only based on what I’ve read in articles, but also based on
whats going on in the world today. There are plenty of human rights violations and given
the chance people can do some messed up things to one and other. I think that is would
be better if from the start we had laws about how we would treat our own creations. If
we make them capable of thinking and feeling, then they should also have the same rights
that we do.
Monday, July 22, 13
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WORKS CITED
McCorduck, Pamela. Machines Who Think: A Personal Inquiry into the History and Prospects of Artificial Intelligence. Natick, MA:
A.K. Peters, 2004. Print.
Russell, Stuart J., and Peter Norvig. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson
Education, 2003. Print.
A Terminator from the Terminator movies. Digital image. ENG 103: Artificial Intelligence. N.p., 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 22 July 2013.
Data from Star Trek. Digital image. Wikimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2013.
Dilbert Comic. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2013.
"Progress Report." Interview by Michael Danso. Sakai. University of Rhode Island, 25 June 2013. Web. 22 July 2013. <https://
sakai.uri.edu/portal/site/7af563aa-913c-4218-b77a-2de754609a91/page/182207f2-bf29-4cc3-9a4e-59605a9f0ff1>.
"Russian Brains behind Closest Ever AI Attempt - RT News." Russian Brains behind Closest Ever AI Attempt - RT News. N.p., 23
Aug. 2012. Web. 22 July 2013.
Knapp, Alex. "Should Artificial Intelligences Be Granted Civil Rights?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 04 Apr. 2011. Web. 22 July
2013.
"TED Conversations." Should Computers Be given Rights? N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2013.
Monday, July 22, 13
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