Robots (54)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 6 min
- The Guardian
- 2019
Across the globe, conflicting feelings exist about how “human” robots ought to be, and if humanoid machines are a positive or negative.
- The Guardian
- 2019
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- 6 min
- The Guardian
- 2019
Being Human: How Realistic Do We Want Robots To Be?
Across the globe, conflicting feelings exist about how “human” robots ought to be, and if humanoid machines are a positive or negative.
Would it make it easier to interact with a robot that looks human? What defines an authentic human life experience if robots become capable of imitating our specific characteristics indistinguishably well?
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- 13 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
George Almore is an engineer working with a company which hopes to achieve singularity with robots, making their artificial intelligence one step above real humans. In doing this, he works with three prototypes: J1, J2, and J3, each one more advanced than the last. Simultaneously, he plans to upload his dead wife’s consciousness into the J3 robot in order to extend her life. The narrative begins with him explaining his goal to J3 as he has this robot go through taste and emotion tests. Eventually, J3 has evolved into a humanoid robot who takes on the traits of George’s wife, leaving the earlier two versions, who all have a sibling-like bond with each other, feeling neglected.
- Kinolab
- 2020
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- 13 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
Prototypes, Evolution, and Replacement with Robots
George Almore is an engineer working with a company which hopes to achieve singularity with robots, making their artificial intelligence one step above real humans. In doing this, he works with three prototypes: J1, J2, and J3, each one more advanced than the last. Simultaneously, he plans to upload his dead wife’s consciousness into the J3 robot in order to extend her life. The narrative begins with him explaining his goal to J3 as he has this robot go through taste and emotion tests. Eventually, J3 has evolved into a humanoid robot who takes on the traits of George’s wife, leaving the earlier two versions, who all have a sibling-like bond with each other, feeling neglected.
Are taste and emotion examples of necessary elements of creating advanced AI? If so, why? What good does having these abilities serve in terms of the AI’s relationship to the human world? Is it right to transfer consciousness or elements of consciousness from a deceased person into one or several AI? In the AI, how much is too much similarity to a pre-existing person? Can total similarity ever be achieved, and how? Can advanced AI feel negative human emotions and face mental health problems such as depression? Is it ethical to program AI to feel such emotions, knowing the risks associated with them, including bonding with former or flawed prototypes of itself? If an AI kills itself, does the onus fall on the machine or the human creator?
Archive: Test Runs-
- 4 min
- Kinolab
- 2001
David and Joe, two humanoid androids known as “Mechas,” are captured to be featured in the “Flesh Fair.” In this horrifying attraction, ringmaster Lord Johnson-Johnson destroys Mechas in front of an enthusiastic crowd using brutal and painful torture methods. However, as David begs for his own life, the crowd hesitates.
- Kinolab
- 2001
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- 4 min
- Kinolab
- 2001
Robots and Humankind Purists
David and Joe, two humanoid androids known as “Mechas,” are captured to be featured in the “Flesh Fair.” In this horrifying attraction, ringmaster Lord Johnson-Johnson destroys Mechas in front of an enthusiastic crowd using brutal and painful torture methods. However, as David begs for his own life, the crowd hesitates.
How can it be ensured that robots which very closely resemble humans do not face unjust punishment or torture solely on the basis of being robots? How likely is humankind to be totally tolerant of androids like the Mechas? Who can properly advocate for AI rights? Would there need to be AI in government for this to be effective?
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- 12 min
- Kinolab
- 1982
In dystopian 2019 Los Angeles, humanoid robots known as “replicants” are on the loose, and must be tracked down and killed by bounty hunters. The normal role for replicants is to serve as laborers in space colonies; they previously were not meant to incorporate into human society. The first two clips demonstrate the Voigt-Kampff test, this universe’s Turing Test to determine if someone is a replicant or a human. While the android Leon is discovered and retaliates quickly, Rachel, a more advanced model of android, is able to hide her status as an android for longer because she herself believes she is human due to implanted memories. When this secret is revealed to Rachel, she becomes quite upset.
- Kinolab
- 1982
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- 12 min
- Kinolab
- 1982
Distinguishing Between Robots and Humans
In dystopian 2019 Los Angeles, humanoid robots known as “replicants” are on the loose, and must be tracked down and killed by bounty hunters. The normal role for replicants is to serve as laborers in space colonies; they previously were not meant to incorporate into human society. The first two clips demonstrate the Voigt-Kampff test, this universe’s Turing Test to determine if someone is a replicant or a human. While the android Leon is discovered and retaliates quickly, Rachel, a more advanced model of android, is able to hide her status as an android for longer because she herself believes she is human due to implanted memories. When this secret is revealed to Rachel, she becomes quite upset.
Will “Turing Tests” such as the one shown here become more common practice if AI become seemingly indistinguishable from humans? In this universe, the principal criteria for discovering an android is seeing if they display empathy toward animals. Is this a fair criterion to judge a machine? Do all humans show empathy toward animals? If AI can replicate humans, do they need to disclose their status as an android? Why? What makes Rachel’s life less “real” than any other humans? What are the dangers of giving away human memories to AI?
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- 11 min
- Kinolab
- 1982
Roy Batty is a rogue humanoid android, known as a “replicant,” who escaped his position as an unpaid laborer in a space colony and now lives among humans on Earth. After discovering that he only has a lifespan of four years, Roy breaks into the penthouse of his creator Eldon Tyrell and implores him to find a way to prolong his life. After Tyrell refuses and lauds Roy’s advanced design, Roy kills Tyrell, despite seeing him as a sort of father figure. After fleeing from the penthouse, he is found by android bounty hunter Rick Deckard, who proceeds to chase him across the rooftops. After a short confrontation with Deckard, Roy delivers a monologue explaining his sorry state of affairs.
- Kinolab
- 1982
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- 11 min
- Kinolab
- 1982
Meaning and Duration of Android Lives
Roy Batty is a rogue humanoid android, known as a “replicant,” who escaped his position as an unpaid laborer in a space colony and now lives among humans on Earth. After discovering that he only has a lifespan of four years, Roy breaks into the penthouse of his creator Eldon Tyrell and implores him to find a way to prolong his life. After Tyrell refuses and lauds Roy’s advanced design, Roy kills Tyrell, despite seeing him as a sort of father figure. After fleeing from the penthouse, he is found by android bounty hunter Rick Deckard, who proceeds to chase him across the rooftops. After a short confrontation with Deckard, Roy delivers a monologue explaining his sorry state of affairs.
Should robots who are modeled to act like real humans be given a predetermined, short lifespan? Should robots who are modeled to act like real humans ever be expected to complete uncompensated work? How should creators of robots give their creations the opportunity to make meaning of their lives? Who is ultimately responsible to “parent” a sentient AI?
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- 8 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Eleanor Shellstrop, a deceased selfish woman, ended up in the utopic afterlife The Good Place by mistake after her death. She spins an elaborate web of lies to ensure that she is not sent to be tortured in The Bad Place. In this narrative, she attempts to prevent Michael, the ruler of The Good Place, from being sent to the torture chambers by murdering Janet, the robotic assistant of the good place. However, Eleanor and her companions have a harder time murdering Janet than they had prepared for thanks to her quite realistic begging for her life.
- Kinolab
- 2016
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- 8 min
- Kinolab
- 2016
Murder of Robots and Honesty
Eleanor Shellstrop, a deceased selfish woman, ended up in the utopic afterlife The Good Place by mistake after her death. She spins an elaborate web of lies to ensure that she is not sent to be tortured in The Bad Place. In this narrative, she attempts to prevent Michael, the ruler of The Good Place, from being sent to the torture chambers by murdering Janet, the robotic assistant of the good place. However, Eleanor and her companions have a harder time murdering Janet than they had prepared for thanks to her quite realistic begging for her life.
How can robots be programmed to manipulate emotional responses from humans? Is the act committed in this narrative “murder”? Is there ever any such thing as a victimless lie? How has true honesty become harder in the digital age? Is it ethical to decommission older versions of humanoid robots as newer ones come along? Is this evolution in its own right?