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Strong Artificial Intelligence and the Soul

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
I asked something similar to this, but wanted to delve into something specific.

Assume that we create strong artificial intelligence, by this I mean machines with minds as complex or more so than the human mind. Self aware, able to reason (probably to a greater, much less flawed extent to us), things of that nature. My question relates to the treatment of and laws for these machines from a religious perspective. For example, some know that we are not supposed to kill, as that is one of God's laws. An AI is not one of Gods creatures, is it bound to such laws? In fact, an AI would not even have a soul that would be judged by God (or would it?). What about our treatment of AIs? Should we follow the same religious laws when dealing with them? Treat them as we wish them to treat us, turn the other cheek, lend a helping hand, etc? Is "killing" an AI against God's laws?

This OP is just a basic guideline, and I hope the topic has been made clear. Discuss.
 

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Why wouldn't said AI be "one of God's creatures?" Even limiting it to theistic Gods, did God make you, or did your parents?

I don't see why AI would be any different.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
Why wouldn't said AI be "one of God's creatures?" Even limiting it to theistic Gods, did God make you, or did your parents?

I don't see why AI would be any different.

That is your perspective that many would not agree with, though I sure do. Obviously you would consider it "one of God's creatures". As I said, the OP was just to give some examples, I was not claiming anything in it as fact.
 

horizon

Member
No one should need a law of god to tell them not to murder people or that being decent to someone is the right thing to do. And yes, we should treat them how we want to be treated.
 

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
That is your perspective that many would not agree with, though I sure do. Obviously you would consider it "one of God's creatures". As I said, the OP was just to give some examples, I was not claiming anything in it as fact.
Well, yeah. I was asking you, though.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
No one should need a law of god to tell them not to murder people or that being decent to someone is the right thing to do. And yes, we should treat them how we want to be treated.

Is an AI a person, is shutting it down murder? (I say yes, just to throw in my perspective.)

Well, yeah. I was asking you, though.

Haha this happens to us a lot. I agree with you, especially since I am really not a believe in any type of God form. An AI is another part of the universe, it is simply a person created through a different process than how we are biologically created.
 

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Oh, ok. :)

ETA: Oh, I misread your post. You said "I sure do," and I totally missed it.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
Oh, ok. :)

ETA: Oh, I misread your post. You said "I sure do," and I totally missed it.

Haha no problem :)
So you would say that a strong AI should be treated the same as a human being?
 

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
More or less.

The less being that we should probably stop thinking in terms of "human beings" and more in terms of "sapients." Especially with the breakthroughs in animal research indicating that we may well not be the only sapients around already.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
More or less.

The less being that we should probably stop thinking in terms of "human beings" and more in terms of "sapients." Especially with the breakthroughs in animal research indicating that we may well not be the only sapients around already.

I think that would be an excellent idea.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
I asked something similar to this, but wanted to delve into something specific.

Assume that we create strong artificial intelligence, by this I mean machines with minds as complex or more so than the human mind. Self aware, able to reason (probably to a greater, much less flawed extent to us), things of that nature. My question relates to the treatment of and laws for these machines from a religious perspective. For example, some know that we are not supposed to kill, as that is one of God's laws. An AI is not one of Gods creatures, is it bound to such laws? In fact, an AI would not even have a soul that would be judged by God (or would it?). What about our treatment of AIs? Should we follow the same religious laws when dealing with them? Treat them as we wish them to treat us, turn the other cheek, lend a helping hand, etc? Is "killing" an AI against God's laws?

This OP is just a basic guideline, and I hope the topic has been made clear. Discuss.


All AI machines should be treated with the same deference as any other inanimate object.
 

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
There is the bit about the difference between theory and practice to consider. Real physical experience and the empathy that develops from it has to be brought into the mix here.
 

Me Myself

Back to my username
The problem would be how would we know the machine is self aware. Technically speaking, we only assume other humans are self aware because we are.

This is classic case of philosophical zombie
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
The problem would be how would we know the machine is self aware. Technically speaking, we only assume other humans are self aware because we are.

This is classic case of philosophical zombie

And beyond the scope of this thread.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
All AI machines should be treated with the same deference as any other inanimate object.

Well that was unexpected haha. Why would you consider a strong AI just another inanimate object? It can think, hell it would probably be smarter than all of us.
 

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
not a member of the plant or animal kingdoms
1: not animate; lifeless.

So, we look up 'animate,' (sometimes dictionaries are inefficient!):

adjective 7. alive; possessing life: animate creatures.

8. lively: an animate expression of joy.

9. of or relating to animal life.

10. able to move voluntarily.

So, I'll ask you to rephrase before responding to the premise, unless you want to stipulate that "life is dependent on organic functions produced by biological evolution."
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Well that was unexpected haha. Why would you consider a strong AI just another inanimate object? It can think, hell it would probably be smarter than all of us.

It's an inanimate object because it's not part of the plant or animal kingdoms.

Hell, my laptop graphics card is smarter than me in what it does. Making it more complicated changes nothing fundamentally. Even if you change the program to a 'mimic conscious entity' program, so what.
 

idav

Being
Premium Member
I asked something similar to this, but wanted to delve into something specific.

Assume that we create strong artificial intelligence, by this I mean machines with minds as complex or more so than the human mind. Self aware, able to reason (probably to a greater, much less flawed extent to us), things of that nature. My question relates to the treatment of and laws for these machines from a religious perspective. For example, some know that we are not supposed to kill, as that is one of God's laws. An AI is not one of Gods creatures, is it bound to such laws? In fact, an AI would not even have a soul that would be judged by God (or would it?). What about our treatment of AIs? Should we follow the same religious laws when dealing with them? Treat them as we wish them to treat us, turn the other cheek, lend a helping hand, etc? Is "killing" an AI against God's laws?

This OP is just a basic guideline, and I hope the topic has been made clear. Discuss.

I say we avoid giving machines any emotions, even strong AI, that way we don't have to worry about their feelings. They should be like Spock or Data even.
 
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