Should there be laws against cruelty to robots?

I saw the video in this tweet and couldn't help but ask myself...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Google's dog robot looks too real for comfort: <a href="http://t.co/LeR94RnfQM">http://t.co/LeR94RnfQM</a> <a href="http://t.co/eIJoWBd2oj">pic.twitter.com/eIJoWBd2oj</a></p>— Mashable (@mashable) <a href="https://twitter.com/mashable/status/565021280769150976">February 10, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


It may seem an absurd question, but is it really? We have cruelty to animals laws, and obviously being cruel to humans is against the law (physically cruel anyway) should robots be included?

I am aware the video was to demonstrate the stability of the robot and not because the man was angry with it.

In the near future however we will start to see robots that look like people- and robots that look like animals will become more popular.

We know people who are cruel to animals are much more likely to be cruel to humans... Kill animals for "fun?" You're likely to try killing people.

When robots look like animals and people I would be willing to bet the people that get off on beating a robot dog or robot person are the same people that have or will do the same to real dogs and/or people.

So is it really so absurd we might see cruelty to robot laws in the next 50 years?

Would you also enact laws regarding cruelty to smartphones, laptops, calculators, cars, printers, etc...? These devices are no different than a robot, other than it's exterior design...

KJVBlueXJ said:

Would you also enact laws regarding cruelty to smartphones, laptops, calculators, cars, printers, etc...? These devices are no different than a robot, other than it's exterior design...

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No because you don't get the feeling you're hurting a real person or real animal when you are cruel to a smart phone.

If you have problems differentiating between a robot person and a real person there should be a law against you.

whiskey tango said:

If you have problems differentiating between a robot person and a real person there should be a law against you.

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Well we know there will be sex robots- companies are working on those now. Rater then just a blow up doll will be a robot that looks and feels like real women with holes in all the right places.

Would you be comfortable with it being legal for companies to sell sex robots that resemble children? Because if you'd be against that it doesn't seem like a big jump to laws against general cruelty to robots.

BirdOPrey5 said:

Well we know there will be sex robots- companies are working on those now. Rater then just a blow up doll will be a robot that looks and feels like real women with holes in all the right places.

Would you be comfortable with it being legal for companies to sell sex robots that resemble children? Because if you'd be against that it doesn't seem like a big jump to laws against general cruelty to robots.

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There should also be a law against people who want to fawk robots, no matter what they look like.

Soon it would be illegal to touch your own or another's body with any sort of prosthetic.

whiskey tango said:

There should also be a law against people who want to fawk robots, no matter what they look like.

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Does that include vibrators? Blow up dolls?

BirdOPrey5 said:

Does that include vibrators? Blow up dolls?

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Those are devices, not robots.

whiskey tango said:

Those are devices, not robots.

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Where do you draw the line? What is the difference between a device and a robot?

I will concede that I am no expert on robotery and there are probably hundreds of different definitions for them but in the words of Joseph engelberger I know a robot when I see one.

A phone isn't a robot and a blowup doll or vibrator certainly isnt either.

Merriam Webster:

1 a :a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being; also :a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized
b :an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically
2 :a device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks


And just so we're clear, I think people who hurt/abuse animals for pleasure should be fed to large hungry carnivores.

Well... there are no laws about sex with robots and it seems very unlikely there will be any- at least against adult looking robots.

So the questions remains if the only law proposed is a ban on child looking robots for sex, would you be for or against that?

Dolls that look like children seem to be OK.

These would be just something added to doll figures - hard to legislate against these.

BirdOPrey5 said:

Well... there are no laws about sex with robots and it seems very unlikely there will be any- at least against adult looking robots.

So the questions remains if the only law proposed is a ban on child looking robots for sex, would you be for or against that?

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I dont really think I can say I am or am not ok with it. I can only offer my opinion. Society already has enough problems with psychologically damaged people. This will only add to it.

A robot is no different than a cell phone unless it's self-aware. Laws against cruelty to robots should only be considered once artificial intelligence is developed, which hopefully is never given how destructive a thinking machine could be to humanity.

Also, if anyone's read through their Asimov library and wants more, there's a great Japanese animated movie called Time of Eve that's based on his ideas.

John in MA said:

A robot is no different than a cell phone unless it's self-aware. Laws against cruelty to robots should only be considered once artificial intelligence is developed, which hopefully is never given how destructive a thinking machine could be to humanity.

Also, if anyone's read through their Asimov library and wants more, there's a great Japanese animated movie called Time of Eve that's based on his ideas.

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But is it really the animals feelings that make cruelty to animals illegal or is it the feelings it stirs up in humans? Human gets used to hurting animals it is a short bridge to cross before they hurt other humans. Robot abuse could be just as much a gateway to human on human violence as animal abuse.

The mechanism that makes people disgusted by animal cruelty is probably directly related to our feelings, but our feelings come from knowing the animal experiences pain and suffering in way we can perceive. The animal is also a natural living creature and not a manufactured product.

My world view has a tiny trace of that spiritual shinto shit about everything have a purpose or whatever, so I don't like seeing people destroy things, but I also don't really care if you blow up your laptop.

The only gray area I can see if a preprogrammed robot were designed to simulate an anguished response to actions that would be painful to a living thing. Now that I think of it, I should create an app that makes your cell phone cry when you sit on it or shake it.

"Why did you program me to feel pain?"

Real looking robots are just gateways to the real thing.

Just watched a Spanish movie on Netflix called "Eva." Deals with the concept of an android female child (10 year old) robot that goes bad, and the consequences. Not too bad for a Euro flick.