Play

Imagine having to think twice before unplugging your toaster because you’re faced with a moral dilemma.

If the toaster becomes advanced enough to predict what kind of toast you want, researches different kinds of toast during the day, and even chats with you about it, won’t you start wondering whether your toaster is...well...sort of human?

The video above explores this idea, asking uncomfortable questions and probing for answers.

Artificial intelligence is already making its way into our lives. An article you just read may have been entirely written by a machine. You see internet ads that seem to read your mind only because of artificial intelligence technology.

The video explains that while we may be amused by chat bots like Siri right now, it’s highly likely that sometime in the near future we’ll be forced to question ourselves and draw a line while trying to understand real and simulated humanity.

Are there any machines that deserve rights at the moment? Not yet. “But if they come, we are not prepared for it,” the video warns.

Most rights revolve around consciousness and avoiding any kind of pain. This gets into a grey area when it comes to robots, who don’t feel physical pain or discomfort. But what if we program them differently to let them experience pain?

Also, what would robots make of our definition of rights in the first place?

There’s a lot more. For example, human beings find ways to justify wrongful acts for their benefit and even offer idealistic explanations to boot. Exhibit A: Slavery.

It’s possible that robots could be taken advantage of on a large scale, especially when it comes to influential powers looking to boost economic advantages. What will happen if and when robots start creating their own brand of artificial intelligence systems?

The narrator poses an ominous question in the end, “What are we going to do if robots start demanding their own rights?”

Perhaps it’s time to (re)read science fiction, starting with Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot” series.