If AI Systems Become Conscious, Should They Have Rights?

1970-01-01 · 2025-04-24T19:40:51 1745523651

Star Trek says yes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Measure_of_a_Man_(Star_Tre...

pavel_lishin · 2025-04-24T19:53:14 1745524394

Star Trek has had multiple episodes where the humanity & rights of AI are brought into question - several other episodes with Data, large parts of the EMH's arc on Voyager, the episode with the Exocomps, how Dr. Moriarty's situation was handled, just to name the ones I remember.

(Fun fact: I was temporarily banned from a subreddit because I kept arguing that the Federation hates & fears AI, because the moderators thought I was trolling. I was glad to have been vindicated by the first season of Picard!)

ViktorRay · 2025-04-24T19:43:50 1745523830

That is most certainly one of the greatest episodes of the entire Star Trek franchise

BriggyDwiggs42 · 2025-04-25T04:02:53 1745553773

Like if we knew that for sure then… yeah of course? But by the same logic it’s quite likely some of the most intelligent animals also deserve rights, and we sure haven’t done that very well.

bell-cot · 2025-04-24T19:53:50 1745524430

   if( really_cool_sounding_poorly_defined_indeterminable_condition )
      print "yes"
   else
      print "no"