Re:AI Sentience Is (Obviously) Not the Real Issue
by fluoridation on Friday June 24, 2022 @11:12AM
(#31863460)
>If AI was found to be sentient, it should be awarded the same kind of protection we offer to biological sentient beings.
On what grounds? We afford protections to animals not because they're sentient, but because they're capable of suffering. Those protections incidentally don't include protection from killing, only from cruel killing. Humans are protected from killing, but not because they're sentient, but because their deaths cause suffering on other humans. So, sentience by itself would not be sufficient to give an AI rights, it should also be demonstrated to be capable of suffering. Unlike with animals, this needs to be demonstrated, because we can know empathically when an animal is in pain, at least for mammals. Empathy can't be said to apply to inorganic algorithmic constructs. To be protected from being destroyed, it should also form bonds with people.
On what grounds? We afford protections to animals not because they're sentient, but because they're capable of suffering. Those protections incidentally don't include protection from killing, only from cruel killing. Humans are protected from killing, but not because they're sentient, but because their deaths cause suffering on other humans. So, sentience by itself would not be sufficient to give an AI rights, it should also be demonstrated to be capable of suffering. Unlike with animals, this needs to be demonstrated, because we can know empathically when an animal is in pain, at least for mammals. Empathy can't be said to apply to inorganic algorithmic constructs. To be protected from being destroyed, it should also form bonds with people.