Artificial intelligence already exhibits many human characteristics. Given our history of denying rights to certain humans, we should recognize that robots are people and have human rights.
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While the question may seem fanciful, abstract, and even unnecessary, it’s actually quite essential, says Cohen. Our lamentable history of denying certain classes of humans basic rights — blacks and women are obvious examples — may even make the question urgent.
At the heart of the matter is the distinction between people and human beings. A person must be afforded essential rights, like the right of non violability, and this makes defining a person as a human being very attractive. It is, however, not an unproblematic definition.
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