Moral and Social Issues

Should we create intelligent robots at all?
Is the creation of an intelligent robot an act that only God should do?
Will there need to be some regulation about the creation of robots?
Will intelligent robots take away all forms of human employment?
Where are humans to derive their meaning and purpose in life?


Should we create intelligent robots at all?
Would it not be better for society if we totally banned the design and manufacture of intelligent robots? We might go further and ban all research using intelligent robots. But would this be desirable? Is there not a certain amount of species pride here, that we homo sapiens think we have the right to dictate which sapient life forms should exist on our planet. Clearly, if intelligent robots already existed, and governments decided to wipe them all out, then this would amount to a serious crime on a par with crimes against humanity, or the eradication of nations. If robots were consulted, then surely they would want to live. Besides, we might benefit from another sapient life form on our planet.

Is the creation of an intelligent robot an act that only God should do?
In other words, in creating robots, we are taking on a role of God which we should not do. The simple response to this is that every time a couple decide to have children, they are also taking on this God like role in bringing forth a new person into the world. If it is OK to bring new humans into the world, why is it not OK to bring a new robot into the world? Of course, one could argue that the book of Genesis tells us that God created the world for humans to live in, and not necessarily for intelligent robots. The simple reply to this is how do we know that God does not desire the creation of robots just as much as people.

Will there need to be some regulation about the creation of robots?
Initially, the manufacture of robots might be expensive, but this would soon decrease with advancing technology. Furthermore, their maintenance costs will in time be lower than those of humans. Do we want the planet to be totally overcome by robots, with many more robots than humans. Probably not, at least initially. The crucial question is whether robots will be brought up by parents in families. Would a robot when it was young have an owner? Or is the whole notion of ownership inappropriate when considering intelligent robots. We would not really say that we own our children.

Will intelligent robots take away all forms of human employment?
We are already seeing machines taking up more and more aspects of employment, and this trend is likely to continue. Many human occupations are relatively simple, and can be performed by not very intelligent machines. At present this raises the possibility of humans doing the more skilled work, with the more mundane work being done by machines. But once intelligent robots become as intelligent as us, and even more intelligent, then employment patterns will begin to shift. Just as science fiction, in particular Star Trek, has shown that society gets used to working with people from many different alien species, so also we will get used to robots taking a greater part in the workplace.

Where are humans to derive their meaning and purpose in life?
We already have this problem in our society with over 10% of the population in unemployment. Of course, it is possible that society will adapt so that there are many more employment positions which would be specific to humans and difficult for robots to do. For example, if robots did not take much interest in food or drink, then there might be opportunities for professional food and drink tasters, and it is unlikely that robot cheffs would be as good as human ones, despite their ability to replicate existing recipes. Meaning and purpose have in human history often been related to the quest for survival, whether at the bare necessities of food, clothing and shelter, to the more sophisticated levels of today's society of the car, the television and the mortgage. But if we have a society in which not only do we already have most of our needs' catered for, but where robots can meet new needs much faster than humans can, this really does raise new questions for us. Meaning and purpose then will have to come from elsewhere than from our employment.

I can see various potential approaches to providing meaning and purpose in life if all our basic needs are already met. Some people might derive meaning and purpose through a seeking after new experiences and in particular, after thrills and dangers. Thus mountain climbing, car racing and other sports come into this approach. But also, we have to consider the excitement of a life of crime, of taking drugs, and the seeking of emotional highs. It seems to me that there is a clear distinction between these two approaches to meaning and purpose based on how we feel after we have engaged in the activity. Thus the climbing of a mountain can lead to a positive change in someone's self image. But it is not clear how taking drugs achieves this. Essentially, it is a question of whether one can find a long term basis of meaning and purpose, that continues to provide one with sustenance in the future, rather than just a short term fix.

But there are less ephemeral sources of meaning and purpose. First, and most obviously is prayer and adoration. If there is nothing for us to do, then we can always worship God. Indeed this is the picture we have of our future lives in heaven. But we might get bored with a 10 hour day of praising God. Second then, there would also be plenty of scope for personal development and education. Given a lifetime of 150 years according to the latest scientific research, this would give us plenty of time to visit all sorts of places, to study many cultures and subjects. Of course, this would mean real education, a love of learning for its own sake, rather than in order to achieve wealth or fame. Third, there would be plenty of scope to learn to be better at loving our neighbours, at caring for our families and friends. In a sense love does make the world go round, and it is no accident that stories of self sacrifice for others such as that of Schindler or Jesus himself move us greatly and form an important part of our culture. Jesus taught according to St.Paul that it is better to give than to receive, and loving other people can give a very deep meaning to one's life. And, of course, this would mean in this future society, loving both humans and robots.

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