Over 150 experts in AI, robotics, commerce, law, and ethics from 14 countries have signed an open letter denouncing the European Parliament’s proposal to grant personhood status to intelligent machines. The EU says the measure will make it easier to figure out who’s liable when robots screw up or go rogue, but critics say it’s too early to consider robots as persons—and that the law will let manufacturers off the liability hook. This all started last year when the European Parliament proposed the creation of a specific legal status for robots.
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Electronic personhood, the EU Parliament believes, is the solution to this problem. To be clear, the EU doesn’t want to imbue robots and AI with human rights, such as the right to vote, the right to life, or the right to own property. Nor is it wanting to recognize robots as self-conscious entities (thank goodness). Rather, this measure would be similar to corporate personhood.
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“Robots should not be granted personhood now; there is no existing robot that remotely qualifies for person status,” [said] Michael LaBossiere, a philosopher and expert in robot ethics.
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If they ever become self-aware, conscious agents, it would be hypocritical and unfair of us to deny them personhood status. But for now, we’re still far off from that critical point in our history.
Read full, original post: Experts Sign Open Letter Slamming Europe’s Proposal to Recognize Robots as Legal Persons
