RE: Does Artificial Intelligence Merit Moral Concern and Rights?
I think an important fact is that things aren't immoral because bad consequences might arise from them. Bad consequences might arise from immoral things, but they aren't the defining essence of immorality, merely a consequence of it.
So, in endeavoring to be moral, simply eliminating those things that have bad consequences is going to be unsuccessful. Some bad consequences come from things that are moral, as well, particularly in an immoral world/system.
We shouldn't treat things humanely because if we don't they might get mad and hurt us back. We should treat things humanely because we're humane.
I was raised hunting for food. Not everyone that does hunt is humane. I am. I love life, and wasn't humane because I was afraid deer were gonna rise up and become Bambo (Bambi + Rambo), and take revenge, but because I wanted them to suffer as little as possible, because I like them.
The fact is every deer is going to be eaten, even if only by worms. Most things that kill and eat deer, particularly starvation and disease, causes them terrible suffering. I reckon that were I a deer, and facing such a fate (which isn't really so different from the fate we people do face) I'd have been grateful to meet my end in the way I delivered it.
This is good for me. That it keeps Bambo from going on a rampage and taking me out isn't why it's good for me. It's good for me because I know what I have done is the right thing to do, and has made the world a better place even for - even particularly for - those that have suffered the most from my being in it.
That's why we should not create AI lightly, and why if we do, we better be humane.
When the tyranny we live under finally tires of my defiance, captures, tortures and kills me, they will harm themselves far more than they do me.
I will pity them. I do now. I cannot imagine the self image they must delude themselves with to endure the acts they commit. I reckon their limited intelligence is part of the reason they can do such things, as really intelligent people know better than to be evil.
The real reward of moral action is self respect. Conceit is but poor consolation for it's lack.
Thanks!
Indeed, not "might". Things are immoral because they do produce bad consequences for others, de facto. Murder, rape, assault, theft (for simplicity).
The title was about us giving moral concern to it, as a life, to treat it as we treat other humans because it has the psychological dimension of life. The problem of not treating something morally when it deserves moral concern. It's not only about might hurt us back indeed ;) That is just a reason to consider recognizing moral concern for it by recognizing how it can reciprocate a reaping back onto us for what we sow, just like any human can that we harm. It's not the limits of why moral concern should be applied.
The taking of an innocent life "humanely" is fallacious self-deception. Humane from human treatment. We would put someone to death who did a crime with the least pain because we choose to. We would put someone to death for suffering cancer and pain because we choose to. But to take the life of an innocent who did no harm to us, did no crime, or one that is not already suffering to end it's continued suffering, is not humane. Saying you would prefer a quick painless death might be true, but you would also prefer not to have to be killed by another for their selfish reasons (not for crime done, not for ending prolonged suffering). Humane as "marked by tenderness, compassion, and a disposition to kindly treat others", is not applicable when you take the life of an innocent who did no harm or isn't currently suffering endlessly.
Moral action is anything that is not immoral action. Immoral actions cause harm (violating their will to not have things done to them) to others who did no harm, who are fine and healthy and don't want to have their lives ended. No justification on the part of the aggressor (eg. survival) changes the action being immoral. Moral applicability to actions only applies to causal agents that have a capacity to understand abstraction like the concept of morality and be responsible for their actions being moral or immoral.