Apparently, in the not so distant future, robots specially trained for domestic work will be mass produced and made available to the general public. I think it is just the thing that will appeal to a certain section of our society, those who work domestic helps like dogs and even then are loathe paying them their measly wages. You know the kind- your mean neighbour, the chai shop owner, the thekedar of masons and carpenters and their ilk. Well, there is good news for such folks. Now all they have to do is invest one time in a good robot. Just look at the perks--24-hr work capacity, minimum cost of recharging, cheap spare parts and a lifetime warranty! Not that squeezing the last ounce of energy out of a child twinges the conscience of these people, but at least exploiting a robot will not be unethical. Or will it? Will it be different?
Will robots have rights? If robots are just machines then obviously not. I suppose one could abuse them as much as one wants. People treat their machines very meanly and get away with it. I mean, there is no rule against Indica and SUV owners who drive their cars to their rattling skeletons and then dump them in the kabari market after making an indecent pile, is it? So what is the difference between a car and a robot? Or, is it because robots will be doing ‘human-like’ work and chores that they will be treated as superior machines and given rights? Barring the fictional chances of robots turning ‘thinking’ and getting a mind of their own I-Robot style, I think we can safely believe that beating, abusing, overworking and exploiting a robot will be legal and justified. But it might not be ethical. Does that worry you?
But hey, you don’t go to jail for kicking your chair. So why should kicking a robot be any different? In fact, kicking a robot might be a good thing for inherently abusive people. They can vent their bad temper on robots and be their nice and pleasant self to other ‘humans’. But then again there is a flip side. Folks might get too used to abusing a robot and start taking liberties with humans when in a temper. I’m sorry judge, I thought I was kicking my robot not my subordinate in office! Will the robots then have to bear the blame for turning humans into beasts? Will they negate all the good effects of civilized society and take us back to barbarism? It’s food for thought but definitely not a palatable one I think. Maybe this is a question Alexander McCall smith and his Sunday philosophy club members can answer.
Will robots have rights? If robots are just machines then obviously not. I suppose one could abuse them as much as one wants. People treat their machines very meanly and get away with it. I mean, there is no rule against Indica and SUV owners who drive their cars to their rattling skeletons and then dump them in the kabari market after making an indecent pile, is it? So what is the difference between a car and a robot? Or, is it because robots will be doing ‘human-like’ work and chores that they will be treated as superior machines and given rights? Barring the fictional chances of robots turning ‘thinking’ and getting a mind of their own I-Robot style, I think we can safely believe that beating, abusing, overworking and exploiting a robot will be legal and justified. But it might not be ethical. Does that worry you?
But hey, you don’t go to jail for kicking your chair. So why should kicking a robot be any different? In fact, kicking a robot might be a good thing for inherently abusive people. They can vent their bad temper on robots and be their nice and pleasant self to other ‘humans’. But then again there is a flip side. Folks might get too used to abusing a robot and start taking liberties with humans when in a temper. I’m sorry judge, I thought I was kicking my robot not my subordinate in office! Will the robots then have to bear the blame for turning humans into beasts? Will they negate all the good effects of civilized society and take us back to barbarism? It’s food for thought but definitely not a palatable one I think. Maybe this is a question Alexander McCall smith and his Sunday philosophy club members can answer.
1 comment:
i dunno abt Mcall smith and his club but i think if we have robots around,as long as we know how to control them we'll be fine...its only when the over-enthusiastic scientists make the "thinking " robots like u said - we'll have serious problems. but if we have cops like will smith around to save the day i dont think i'd give a damn:)
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