Should Robot Parents Be Allowed To Raise A Human Child?

Don’t let the following text lead you to belive that my title was inaccurate. The question is within the paragraphs below.

Recently by happenstance I came across a video on talking about eugenics and how it will lead to transhumanism, wherein certain people will be chosen among the masses to be “enhanced”.

(Or something along those lines.)

I can agree that there is much that is potentially dangerous with the transhumanist movement and I think we are perhaps developing at a rate that is unequal to our mental development as a species. I find it amazing however that I have been and will nevertheless continue to bear witness to the emergence of a new offshoot of Homo sapiens. I also agree with many transhumanists that such a movement cannot in and of itself be halted, but rather will continue unabated for no other reason than “It Must Continue”. Evolution is now in our hands, and waiting is not something we as a species can do.

I would like to approach this topic from a different angle however. I want to avoid eugenics disasters and possible wars with machines, becoming slaves to machines or any other thing of this nature.
It isn’t that these aren’t potentials, but what I want to talk about has to do with personal opinion regarding human machine relations, and more specifically marriage, child rearing and sex.

Before I get to that, if you would like to hear from one of the leader in this field try the following video; moreover for those who may be unfamiliar with just how far we have come and how fast we are approaching the next phase of human evolution, this video may enlighten you.


According to scientists, it may not be too long before the line between human and machine is made exceedingly narrow by way of hyper advanced A.I. nano technologies and a number of other fantastic sciences. It has been stated in various interviews, that when one is to address a machine in say the next 50 or 60 years, you shouldn’t look at it as you would a computer, or a toaster over, or a fax machine. Rather you will see it as human, insomuch that you will be for all intense and purposes unable to detect a difference. In fact it is likely that you yourself may also either contain machine parts or be partially mechanized as well.

“Billions of nanobots in our brains will expand our brains in every conceivable way: expanding our memory, boosting our analytic thinking, and enhancing our pattern recognition faculties, which is the true strength of human intelligence.”

Humanity's next great leap
www.canada.com...

Also on the off chance you get an hour you might want to check this video out as well.
The TechnoCalyps

Google Video Link

So let’s say that machines within the next 80 years become so human-esque that you can hardly tell the difference. Will there be a problem with marriage to one of these entities within society?
In light of all the homosexual marriage bans in various states, and repeals being made in others for such accommodation, I wonder how this new idea of union will be accepted among the masses of people both straight and gay. This is something I am interested in, since as humans everyone may have a genuine distaste in wedding a non human… “?life form?”… So will some be more sympathetic to the feelings of the people with such desires?

Not Tonight, Dear, I Have to
Reboot

Programmers can tailor the machines to match a person’s interests or render them somewhat disagreeable to create a desirable level of friction in a relationship. “It’s not that people will fall in love with an algorithm but that people will fall in love with a convincing simulation of a human being, and convincing simulations can have a remarkable effect on people,”

While the above quote expresses the idea that a simple humanoid will have an advanced program running that will mimic human behavior, I am talking about a more advanced version. A version that no longer needs a human to program it per se, and one that could essentially be called alive.

www.theregister.co.uk...Human-robot humping, marriage by 2050, No different from same-sex, or inter-racial nuptials

To give you an example of what I mean I would like to place myself on the chopping block.
I am NOT for gay marriage. That doesn’t mean I dislike gays, but I don’t think such unions should occur. But wait there is more, in an unbelievable and equally immeasurable twist of hypocrisy I am not actually against man machine relations. (Man being a nomenclature for humanity in general and not specifically gender related.)

Can you believe that? I even shock myself. Why is it this is the case, and what the hell is wrong with me?
So therein is one aspect of this dilemma. How will people react and why will they have the reactions they do? Undoubtedly technology will progress the level where humans and machines may even be able to copulate, should this be allowed? Can two robot parents raise a human child? What is the psychology of someone who would do this, and is it the same psychology of people who marry their car? Is it politically correct or otherwise for me to even be asking these questions?

So many questions and unfortunately not nearly enough time to answer effectively, since we are only just now marginally open to the idea of same sex marriage, and such a thing has been “tabooish “for a centuries; how then can we expect to fully plow into the next few decades with the same chiding philosophy we have had for so long as a culture toward people of color and or various sexual peculiarity? Not to mention that to this day people are still ringing their hands and gnashing their teeth at interracial unions.

So not only am I personally confused by my own reaction in regards to human cyborg/robot extra friendly fraternization, I am also surprised by the number of people that:

A. Don’t even realize that we are on the cusp of such a change because the assume that such technology is merely science fiction.
and think your a kook for saying it is at hand.

B. Are open to certain areas and closed minded to others, which is strange to me since when one considers transcending biology it would seem you have to take the whole thing for what it is or none at all.

I think that when it comes to the journey of transhumanism with the ultimate goal being a post human society; I can only wonder if we are ready. Of course I think the simple answer to that question is that we 're not, and it is for this reason that I think our reactions in the years to come are going to make for some very interesting scenarios.

P.S.
If you don’t agree with my stance on gay marriage, I’m sorry it is your right, just like it is the right of gays to marry who they want. Please don’t take this as an opportunity to attack off topic. I am a sicko, I don’t need to be reminded.


Further reading:
Sex and marriage with robots? It could happen

The singularity is near

Transhumanism: Is A Future Where Men Have Merged With Machines Inevitable?

I don't know why you would inflict such a cruelty on a living emotional being.

If you think a robot can fulfil the needs of a developing child and take the place of a human parent you are living in la la land.

Why do people come up with these ridiculous theories?

What you are basically talking about is a whole new level of depravity.

I think there was a movie about this philosophy. Even a series, franchise and a whole industry

It was called..... Terminator.

ring a bell?... What was the end result of that?

Humans will never give in....

reply to post by guessing


Well, as far as being taken over by a machine, Im afraid people already have given in.
When you use a cell phone you give in, when you use a computer, a toothbrush, eyeglasses.

The fact that people inherently feel the need to not just modify but improve upon their environment and themselves shows that humans have already given into the change. It's just that now the change is happening faster and will continue to increase.

that being said though, if such a time comes that a machine would like to make me subservient, I think Im gonna have a problem with that. But remember a lot of those machines may have previously and still are consciously human.

reply to post by SteveR


Currently yes a la la land is where you would be if you hand a child over to a machine, that may not be the case in the next 50 to 100 years.

A machine that is indistinguishable from a human is still a machine, but it is also a human. If you can define what a human is beyond simply being organic then you will be steps ahead of science.

Also a computer can also be an emotional "being" if you will.

reply to post by snowen20


interesting stuff snowen20. i've noticed many people react unwell at the mention of eugenics, so the thought of next-generation human / machine interfacing would probably not be a source of happiness.

i think mankind has a long way to go to devolve back to the level of parenting that existed before the family structure was undermined as we have seen in the USA. if i recall correctly two years ago i read 51% of American households are single women with children.

as for robot parents, there has probably been similar fears in the past as technological advancements brought about new inventions like incubators or MRI machines. these passive medical aids may have been viewed suspiciously by skeptics until they proved their worth. over time any threat imposed by the presence of such machinery would wane as familiarity and trust grew. technology needs time to assimilate into the mainstream.

given time it seems like most anything that people imagine may come to be. today our lives are filled with gadgets that surpass many things seen in old sci-fi movies and comic books. hopefully as time goes by things will change for the better so our humanity will catch up to our technology.

reply to post by snowen20



I use machines for a purpose at this time I am the operator.

Maybe others have been taken over.
Like you, I will fight to the end if machines attempt to make human choices outside of service roles.

reply to post by guessing


the question is,...will we know for sure when they are taking over?
I hope so.

reply to post by LargeFries


I started this thread because I wanted to see the varying reactions of people.
O knew ahead of time that many may be wholly turned off by the subject if not completely repulsed.

The reactions are based on something I am trying to fully understand, the same issue is involved in peoples acceptance of interracial relationships, or Gay marriage.
I have a more conservative view, and as such view things in a less progressive way. I don't agree with any of these things per se, but the idea of the change is very interesting to me.

No. In fact, death to robots! Throw them in the gladiator pits gainst each other!

reply to post by 547000


Which ones are the robots, and which ones are the people?
We can't throw them all into the pit. Besides those robots as you call them don't want to die, any more than the humans. Where are their rights, as sentient beings?

reply to post by snowen20


I don't think there's an algorithm for thinking. The most a robot can do is be programmed to give humans the impression that it can think.


Would you really call a person with artificial additions like metalic spines or other artificial things a "robot"?

reply to post by 547000


Well, according to the top scientists an algorithm can be created, though one may not exist yet. Actually if you are referring to the quote, I think some of it was cut off from the article, it was not speaking presently. Currently humans have to program computers to perform simple or complex tasks, this will most likely change in the next few decades. At which point a computer will be able to not only program itself, but self replicate other more advanced versions of itself autonomously from human control.

At that stage is where you get the whole, Machines will enslave us all idea, though the likelihood of that is probably miniscule considering the safe guards you would have. For example if a system of computers with individual intelligence thousands of times higher than a humans we would be screwed, so we simply make a machine with a thousand time more intelligence than the attacker. That is unless one tries to convince the other. This is beyond human control at that point.


In response to your other question. No at first you would not call them a robot you would call them an enhanced human, like an athlete with an artificial leg that is better for sprinting than his human legs were, or bionic ears for the deaf or whatever.
Later as these enhancements increase, the way cell phone usage increased, people will develop a dependance on such items. Things like nano molecules for improved longevity, youth, and all manner of things may be utilized. So much so that in a rather short amount of time say a few decades past that point, humans with full mechanical bodies may be prevalent. Brains that were formerly organic have been slowly incorporated into a mechanical substrate to work faster and more efficiently. Is this person still human? I don't know.

Jesus, ATS how about a little love huh?
I actually took time to contribute to this website by researching and writing this thread. Perhaps I should look up the latest celebrity wedding and post that next time.