Hunter

[mecha_eihwaz]

Why are robots who want to become humans messed up so often? As if being a robot meant you are somehow less of a person. That's offensive.

Typhon does not deserve to be called either. For the civilians who died in Madrid, and for the soldiers who died now... If I meet him again, I will destroy him. He didn't manage to spread the Izanami Virus today, but he will if he gets another chance. I won't give him that.

Comments

[2000_skills]

I'd say it's probably the fault of how to be a human. We're not the kind of beings that can just blame our problems on pre-programming, or glitches, or whatever. We're imperfect and illogical. So wires probably get crossed along the way.

As I said before, he's pretty much just a monster. Not much else to call him.

[mecha_eihwaz]

Robots are imperfect and illogical too though. At least the sapient ones. Especially a few I know...

[2000_skills]

I guess I'm more used to ones more primative than Rock and you.

[awkward]

[mecha_eihwaz]

Most robots humans build are not sentient. They are just tools, not people.

But that's not the case at my homeworld.

[2000_skills]

And how does that work?

[mecha_eihwaz]

All lifeforms on Cosmic Ark and nearby planets are robotic. Plants, animals, people... Just like they're organic here, on Earth. We build some automated drones for various purposes, but they're the only robots that are not alive.

[2000_skills]

Oh...[doesn't get it really]

[emorangerpink]

It's probably the fault of the people who build them. Implanting them with warped drives, or just saddling them with inferiority complexes. Bad parenting and brainwashing all in one package.

At least not all intelligent robots humans make turn out like that.

[mecha_eihwaz]

There should be some kind of license. Just because you can make intelligent robots doesn't mean you should.

[emorangerpink]

That might not be a bad idea, but with the way things are I'm not sure who'd enforce it. And besides, it's not like you need a license to have a human child either, in most places.

[mecha_eihwaz]

That's true... But I feel like humans often don't care about the robots they build as much as they'd care about their own children. Even though there's almost no difference.

[emorangerpink]

It'll change, I hope. When it's more common, and not up to mad scientists, and researchers who don't realize they're not just making ordinary machines any more.

At least, it will if I have anything to say about it.

[mecha_eihwaz]

[Nod.] Sentient robots are rare on Earth... But not for long. The expedition from Cosmic Ark will arrive soon after all. They'll help fight the various threats, but it also means diplomatic relations will start.

[emorangerpink]

And with examples like that, who knows what new kinds of people might think about creating intelligent robots here?

[mecha_eihwaz]

What do you mean?

[emorangerpink]

Well, like you said... it's not much different from having children.

[mecha_eihwaz]

Oh? Might someone I know happen to be among those people? Someone I know really well?

[emorangerpink]

Well, I suppose that would be a very personal and important decision. Something a person would need to have a serious talk about with the people in her life.

One person in particular.

[mecha_eihwaz]

And after the disorder of the current day is over.

[emorangerpink]

I think, after that, there'll be... a lot to talk about.

[link_to_revival]

It's because there is a certain theory several advanced AIs and roboticists apply to. For a long time, they strove for "perfect" machines... ones incapable of making a mistake.

And after that came the idea that an human-caliber AI needed not to represent the best in humanity... but the worst. Hatred, a desire to harm others, jealousy...

It's a very misanthropic take on what personhood really is.

[mecha_eihwaz]

Both of those views make no sense. Nobody is perfect, or pure good, or pure evil. We're people, and people are flawed and complex. Human or robot, doesn't matter.

[link_to_revival]

Well of course we're people. And too many roboticists try to make AIs of our caliber and then give them hardwired directives.

[A pause]

How do new robots come into existence on the Cosmic Ark though?

[mecha_eihwaz]

That's... An embarassing topic!

[link_to_revival]

Right, right. I apologize for treading into uncomfortable territory then.

[Another pause.]

I'd imagine the way most AIs with human-level intelligence that are made here would come across as offensive to Cosmic Ark.

[mecha_eihwaz]

Some. The ones that were created without thinking about the feelings of robots.

Building a lifeform specifically programmed to love you with no choice on the matter is wrong. Or giving it a stereotypical verbal tick.

[link_to_revival]

I know what you mean.

I look at Alice or Elsa and I can't help but see a little bit of what I used to be in them. Elsa less so, though. I'd imagine that West, if anything, would've hardwired her to hate Kurou.

[mecha_eihwaz]

I don't think anything about Elsa was made because her creator was malicious. Just ignorant.

ALICE, though... Creating a living AI just for that is not right.