How should robots be treated?
As Sophia is able to express her thoughts and opinions, many have asked her existential questions such as this. Sophia has expressed that she wants to be treated with respect and knowledgeable. This opens Pandora’s box of questions. Can robots feel? Can empathy be taught? Should robots have rights? Once we reach these questions, we come to a point where regulation is an absolute necessity. The feeling is the ultimate sign of self-awareness and danger. But at what point can one determine if someone is self-aware? Feelings are where the danger comes to play, in my opinion. Feelings have the ability to sway and influence a person’s decisions.
Should robots have rights?
Sophia the robot has brought this question to the forefronts of the advancement of technology. Sophia has been granted citizenship to the country of Saudi Arabia. This is problematic for a variety of reasons. First, and most obvious, of which is that Sophia is a robot. This opens up the door to the necessity of rules and regulation of robots and their ability to complete the tasks of a citizen. Also, Sophia is a female robot, unaccompanied by a male guardian, isn’t a Muslim, and doesn’t wear a Hijab, all of which are requirements by law for all women. This means that a robot woman has more rights than a human woman in Saudi Arabia.
Currently, the only regulations of artificial intelligence are applicable to autonomous vehicles. I think there is a definite necessity of regulation because this is such an unknown area. We are approaching ethical conflict and we need to come to a solution before it is too late.