Should robots have rights?

Scientists and futurists are debating about whether robots and AI should have rights, similar to the rights of animals.

Some US scientists believe that people should start considering having the ethical rights of AI protected.

Professors John Basl and Eric Schwitzgebel warn that many believe that AIs don’t deserve ethical protection, as AI is believed not to be conscious or capable of experiencing emotions. Their question is: how will we know when we have created something capable of joy and suffering?

Aeon magazine writes that a puzzle and difficulty arises here because the scientific study of consciousness has not reached a consensus about what consciousness is, and how we can tell whether or not it is present. On some views – ‘liberal’ views – for consciousness to exist requires nothing but a certain type of well-organised information-processing, whereas on other views – ‘conservative’ views – consciousness might require very specific biological features.

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AI ethical rights

John Basl

Eric Schwitzgebel

Aeon magazine