Should robots have rights?

629 published comments with 56 censored.

Scientists have expressed concern about the use of autonomous decision-making robots and are calling for a public debate about whether or not it's safe to allow robots to do tasks once restricted to humans.

Increasingly, autonomous machines are being used in military roles. A robotic sentry is now being used to guard the border between North and South Korea. It is equipped with two cameras and a machine gun.

The UK Office of Science and Innovation's Horizon Scanning centre have predicted that robots could one day demand the same citizen's rights as humans, including housing and even "robo-healthcare".

Do you think robots should be used in military fuctions? Should robots or their creators be responsible for their actions?

Link to the BBC website for this thread

The following comments were censored from this thread on the BBC's 'Have Your Say' section of their news website.

Should robots have rights?

Written by [Thingisthis], Newcastle, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:14:42 UTC 2007. 3 recommendations.

'Pussy Strangling" - please explain...

[subjectishatless]

She is a self confessed Ailurophobe and Humphrey, the no 10 cat, mysteriously disappeared one night.....

Oh...Okay... Thanks. I thought it was something to do with her fanny.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [gruffpants], London, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:17:36 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Robots with rights? Oh for heavens' sakes!

You might laugh, but they gave women the vote!
Oh come on its just a joke.

More seriously, whats to stop machines with intelligence (robots) deciding to go on strike or work to rule, or start civil disobedience campaigns. If they can think for themselves then we can't control what they think.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by His Holiness The Pap on Tue Apr 24 13:17:09 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

There's an awful lot of ignorant 'pro-carbonist' post on this website.

SILICON RIGHTS NOW!

Posted by an-unattended Mac in The Midlands.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [politeDevoz], Portsmouth, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:16:47 UTC 2007. 2 recommendations.

"Do you think there will be robots sneaking into the UK hiding under the Eurostar and in the back of lorries to take advantage of our free Cyberhealthcare and housing systems?"

"Only if Brown can tax them"

Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!! Shut up!!!

Please science, create a robot that is capable of taking part in a debate without getting onto a Daily Mail agenda. It could have all the rights it likes:-)

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Righty Rightwing on Tue Apr 24 13:15:15 UTC 2007. 2 recommendations.

"Elitist. Please. Go. Away. Whenever you appear, the debate turns sour and distinctly unpleasant.

Martje Ross""

Ah, the Neo-European Uber Liberal Left appears - being an EU citizen, I guess that satire & penetrative, incisive political debate is lost on you?

Why is it that only a narrow bandwidth of views are acceptable to you?

Surely, you welcome views from across the democratic political spectrum?

Come on Martje, don't be so despotic.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Tim Warlow, London, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:14:13 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

"Its a pity it does not include British born heterosexual white males !

[caltech1]"

Caltech1, you silly sausage, it does include British born heterosexual males.

And it's a good job too - you would not believe the sheer amount of persecution and injustice I have suffered being as a result of being a British borm heterosexual male.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [neworldorder], Withernsea, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:13:15 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Guys...there are so many chat rooms where you can have a go at each other, left vs right, veggies vs meat-eaters, pagans vs christians, etc, so why here?

Elias Kostopoulos,

Can you name them and I will visit, Often wondered where they were?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [CrashTestMonkey], London, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:12:40 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

Do you think there will be robots sneaking into the UK hiding under the Eurostar and in the back of lorries to take advantage of our free Cyberhealthcare and housing systems?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [Buddistmonk], hull, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:11:16 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

I logged in looked for some light-hearted, fun debate over what I think is a rather funny topic. The above comment was the first one I saw. Why does this come into every debate on here? I think I'll go now.

[virtualkellyd]

Maybe because if it had been posted on the relevant fully moderated HYS, it would never of got posted, so much for free speech,

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Should robots have rights?

Written by LiberalLeft AndProud, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:10:07 UTC 2007. 11 recommendations.

Its a pity it does not include British born heterosexual white males !
[caltech1]
[harold-flashman]

Yeah, because continuously screaming victimhood on behalf of the most privileged group in society is a rational act. I can see the army of "NON-PC" robots lurching down whitehall in a dalek stylee "YOU WILL ASSIMILATE" "YOU WILL WATCH TOP GEAR" "YOU WILL HATE IMMIGRANTS" "YOU WILL MOCK WOMEN DRIVERS" Truly sad how you hijack EVERY debate. Lets see if we can EXTERMINATE your post.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by CK Plein, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:21:28 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

Let me get this over with. Whatever happens it will be the fault of the United States.

N B, Hedgesville, United States


Well done! Your learn quick.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by LiberalLeft AndProud, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:19:37 UTC 2007. 4 recommendations.

We are discriminated on from every angle, if your Husband left you for another woman, would you expect never to see your children again, and then have to pay him and his rich lady half your wages and give him your house?

[caltech1]

Beginning to see a theme here. Many of the Rightwhingers are bitter divorced men, who evidently were too self-absorbed and petulant to maintain a lasting relationship. We are all suffering the bile of the aftermath of their sad lives.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Martin R, London on Tue Apr 24 13:18:58 UTC 2007. 3 recommendations.

"Surely, you welcome views from across the democratic political spectrum?"
Righty Rightwing

The issue is not the view, ususally. It's the non-facts culled from the gutter press to present it as truth that is the problem. Like your posts on immigration being like poor robotic-rant, sensationalist tripe versions of the Daily Mail.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by MAtthew Sheader, Birmingham, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:17:53 UTC 2007. 4 recommendations.

If bender on Futurama is anything to go by...and he is folks...then robots will only need a small cupboard to live in...oh and oil to drink with umbrellas in..however the Dixons catalogue will become a porn mag.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [caltech1] on Tue Apr 24 12:20:51 UTC 2007. 3 recommendations.

White heterosexual males are still the most privileged members of society (and no, as a female I don't feel hard done by). Every debate on HYS always turns into an anti-PC rant regardless of what it's about. It's getting really, really boring.

Sarah D,

Absolute rubbish, we are discriminated on from every angle, if your Husband left you for another woman, would you expect never to see your children again, and then have to pay him and his rich lady half your wages and give him your house?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [Rustigjongens], Maastricht on Tue Apr 24 12:20:49 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

Are you reading the same HYS as me? HYS is dominated by right wingers (or right whingers even)...

Robert Pugsley, Leicester, United Kingdom"

Hahaha, brilliant !

The phrase "right whingers" is a work of genius. I shall be adopting it from now on.

Edna Welthorp

I guess the reason that the HYS is domintated by people with centre right views, is that the majority of people are fed up with your PC left wing views?.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Chris Smith, london, Canada on Tue Apr 24 12:26:25 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

"right whingers"

as apposed to a brain dead lefty.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [footysurfrat], Devon, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:46:03 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

"I will when you stop hugging Asylum seekers and condemning smokers rights like your opinion is the only one that counts"
[caltech1]

Is it illegal to hug an asylum seeker? I didn't know that, i'll be sure never to do it again, and as for the smokers rights, your perfectly correct we shouldn't ignore these selfish, weak willed, yellow fingered, wheezing, impotent, smelly, coughing, dying group of people, they should have the right to take their own lifes, just not anyone elses!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [harold-flashman] on Tue Apr 24 12:44:09 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Stop playing the victim card!
[widuran]

Does a ‘PC alarm,’ go off in your lair / hovel, when someone makes a comment like this?
You are straight in there, no messing.

[harold-flashman]

No, Widuran is right.
Every debate on HYS always turns into an anti-PC rant regardless of what it's about. Sarah D,

Widuran has never been right about anything, ever.
His psychosis is so far developed he is unable to recognise this.
Have you ever heard of free speech?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [neworldorder], Withernsea, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:41:28 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Well, I guess we'll find out at the next election - so long as Labour haven't abolished "right-wing" notions such as democracy by then.

Michael Jamieson

I believe they are going to get us to vote via the BBC HYS site and leftandproud is moderating?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [caltech1] on Tue Apr 24 12:38:41 UTC 2007. 3 recommendations.

Its a pity it does not include British born heterosexual white males !

[caltech1]

Stop playing the victim card!

[widuran]

I will when you stop hugging Asylum seekers and condemning smokers rights like your opinion is the only one that counts

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Michael Jamieson on Tue Apr 24 12:33:47 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

"You're not the majority - just a vocal minority who infest this board - election results would suggest so anyway.

M. Bronstein"

Well, I guess we'll find out at the next election - so long as Labour haven't abolished "right-wing" notions such as democracy by then.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Elias Kostopoulos, Athens, Greece on Tue Apr 24 12:59:49 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Guys...there are so many chat rooms where you can have a go at each other, left vs right, veggies vs meat-eaters, pagans vs christians, etc, so why here?

I know my opinion doesn't count since I don't pay a TV licence, but this could be an interesting topic, even the fun side of it.
Can't you just drop the left-right debate for a while?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [ForceCrag], Manchester, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:57:25 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

"I think it's time to blast the left wing into space, where they belong."

I suppose it might be the only way of escaping the planet as it gets wrecked by the selfish right-wing squabblers who want everything for themselves and couldn't care what they do to anything or anyone in order to get it.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [virtualkellyd] on Tue Apr 24 13:00:15 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

Absolute rubbish, we are discriminated on from every angle, if your Husband left you for another woman, would you expect never to see your children again, and then have to pay him and his rich lady half your wages and give him your house?

[caltech1]"

I logged in looked for some light-hearted, fun debate over what I think is a rather funny topic. The above comment was the first one I saw. Why does this come into every debate on here? I think I'll go now.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Martje Ross on Tue Apr 24 13:07:22 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

"This left wing entity is perhaps the greatest danger facing humanity."

This post is bound to get moderated, but ... Elitist. Please. Go. Away. Whenever you appear, the debate turns sour and distinctly unpleasant.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Martin R, London on Tue Apr 24 12:28:07 UTC 2007. 2 recommendations.

"Stop playing the victim card!
[widuran]
Does a ‘PC alarm,’ go off in your lair / hovel, when someone makes a comment like this?"
[harold-flashman]

A 'crass right-wing nonsense alarm' goes off in my lair. It's a predictable and unamusing comment, nevermind the fact it's utterly untrue."
Dan Dover

Oh strewth... he's still playing the white male victim card? White guys have fewer rights than a ZX Spectrum in the World of Harry Flashman.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Righty Rightwing on Tue Apr 24 12:47:12 UTC 2007. 2 recommendations.

The Elitist.

As ever, great posts.

It is an honour to be accused of being you in alias form on these forums by the neo uber liberal left.

Best regards
RRW

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Should robots have rights?

Written by les west on Tue Apr 24 12:29:51 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

you lot are all barmy!!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Sarah D, Alexandra Palace (ex Edinburgh) on Tue Apr 24 12:27:32 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

"Absolute rubbish, we are discriminated on from every angle, if your Husband left you for another woman, would you expect never to see your children again, and then have to pay him and his rich lady half your wages and give him your house?

[caltech1]"

If you're talking about men generally, then maybe you do have a point. But what I'm trying to get at is how it's the white, heterosexual men who are somehow feeling that they are being victimised more than everyone else, which is nonsense.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Johnnie Fartpants, Grunt on Tue Apr 24 12:27:02 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

How about discussing something with a bit of substance.

Let's rather discuss the rights of the bible printers in Turkey.
How convenient of the BBC to ignore that one.

Chris Smith, london, Canada

Totally agree - or discuss that man who cut his prick off in a restaurant...

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Nicholas Rodger, Driffield on Tue Apr 24 12:35:04 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Oh dear grief!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [scotshepherd] on Tue Apr 24 12:30:03 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

If you're talking about men generally, then maybe you do have a point. But what I'm trying to get at is how it's the white, heterosexual men who are somehow feeling that they are being victimised more than everyone else, which is nonsense.

Sarah D,

Try joining the police force, not that I would want to, in this country?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Sebastian Mulliman on Tue Apr 24 12:44:38 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

I will when you stop hugging Asylum seekers and condemning smokers rights like your opinion is the only one that counts

[caltech1]

I know this will get deleted, but here goes anyway. You're a moron with a chip on your shoulder - if you cannot contribute to an HYS without falling to embittered arguments, please just crawl under your stone.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [Martin1983], London, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:41:55 UTC 2007. 5 recommendations.

"What if some of the robots start believing their fellow bots are being oppressed in other lands? When one robot's chip is damaged, they all feel the pain. We could end up with robots blowing themselves up hoping to get 72 batteries in heaven.
We need to bend over backwards for the robots and make sure they aren't alienated." - The Elitist

Now that's satire, I haven't laughed this hard for the last couple of hours!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by M Bronstein on Tue Apr 24 12:30:35 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

I guess the reason that the HYS is dominated by people with centre right views, is that the majority of people are fed up with your PC left wing views?.[Rustigjongens], Maastricht

You're not the majority - just a vocal minority who infest this board - election results would suggest so anyway. It's the Richard Littlejohn fan club here on a daily basis. 'NuLabour', 'neo libs', 'PC brigade', 'do gooders' 'Tony BLiar' blah blah blah. Unoriginal whingers who turn any thread in to the same debate.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by The Elitist on Tue Apr 24 12:30:34 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

What if some of the robots start believing their fellow bots are being oppressed in other lands?

When one robot's chip is damaged, they all feel the pain.

We could end up with robots blowing themselves up hoping to get 72 batteries in heaven.

We need to bend over backwards for the robots and make sure they aren't alienated. Build them large facilities to worship the printed circuit board God. Robot schools, mortgages and even Policemen of robot ethnicity should patrol their communities.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by S.Bhaloo, London on Tue Apr 24 14:41:49 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Robots MUST have TEA BREAK otherwise they will BECOME as kniving, as devious as lying as anglo-saxons!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Daniel Rubinstein, London, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:48:16 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Yes, all that voting for illegal wars, tuition fees and Trident WMDs-those poor robots aka NuLabor MPs, need a break !

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Tony Sweeting, Leicester, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 13:41:07 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

"Do androids dream of electric sheep?"
Tony Sweeting, Leicester, United Kingdom

I may regret asking this... But why, pray tell, do you dream about sheep?

CivilWar I'mWithBorisJohnson

I take it one is not a Blade Runner fan....and yes I am showing my age.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Peter Principle, READING, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 14:26:52 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Might as well give them rights. If Muslim female lawyers can question me with their face covered, you might as well give an equally barmy right to robits.

Ah, but what about Muslim robots?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [ianmoff], England on Tue Apr 24 14:17:18 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

"Let me get this over with. Whatever happens it will be the fault of the United States.

N B, Hedgesville, United States"

No, it will be the fault of the unemployed, Labour-voting immigrants

;-)

Ian

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Ron C, Northwest, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 14:04:12 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

If I take my two little tin robots to the council swimming pool.Will I be refused admission for being irresponsible in that I hav`nt ensured the safety of the one that would sink like a stone and drown because,....either,it he,or she had`nt an adult supervising the little clanker on a one to one?

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Brian Eggleston, London, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 11:34:31 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Is it possible to be racist against robots? On the assumption that it is not, I would like to make the following comment:

All robots are devious scum and should be treated as such. I work with a robot whose job it is to QC my work and it is an evil, malevolent, b*****d, rejecting stuff left, right and flipping centre, just out of pure spite. Now I suspect it’s ganged up with the computer, the coffee machine and the photocopier to make my life even more of a misery than it already is!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [caltech1] on Tue Apr 24 11:34:41 UTC 2007. 2 recommendations.

"Looks like the Human Rights Act will have to be modified to include Robots and criminals."

A McR

Um, the human rights act *does* include criminals! What with them still being "human"...

Claire Q,

Its a pity it does not include British born heterosexual white males !

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Jon Chiles on Tue Apr 24 11:37:27 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Yes. But lets start the White English Males living in the UK first.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [widuran] on Tue Apr 24 11:38:09 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

Its a pity it does not include British born heterosexual white males !

[caltech1]

Stop playing the victim card!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [harold-flashman] on Tue Apr 24 11:44:00 UTC 2007. 2 recommendations.

Its a pity it does not include British born heterosexual white males !
[caltech1]

Stop playing the victim card!
[widuran]

Does a ‘PC alarm,’ go off in your lair / hovel, when someone makes a comment like this?
You are straight in there, no messing.

Actually, I believe you are a Robot, endlessly repeating the same nonsensical behaviour in a programmed loop.
I note you have upgraded to ‘Widuran XP.’
I preferred ‘Widuran Millenium.’

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Should robots have rights?

Written by tom smith on Tue Apr 24 11:56:44 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

Stop playing the victim card!
[widuran]

Does a ‘PC alarm,’ go off in your lair / hovel, when someone makes a comment like this?
You are straight in there, no messing.

Actually, I believe you are a Robot, endlessly repeating the same nonsensical behaviour in a programmed loop.
I note you have upgraded to ‘Widuran XP.’
I preferred ‘Widuran Millenium.’

[harold-flashman]

Spot on mate - about time someone spelled out some home truths to this geyser!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [peterlondon], croydon, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:04:13 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

be de bee de bee... what's up buck!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by The Elitist on Tue Apr 24 12:10:24 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

I think it's time to blast the left wing into space, where they belong.

Let them write new legislation for the Alien rights of 300 million year old fossilized bacteria on Mars.

This left wing entity is perhaps the greatest danger facing humanity.

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [Vulpus_rex], London, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:11:11 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

'Pussy Strangling" - please explain...

[subjectishatless]

She is a self confessed Ailurophobe and Humphrey, the no 10 cat, mysteriously disappeared one night.....

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Should robots have rights?

Written by [loyallittleenglander], Bradford, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:14:23 UTC 2007. 2 recommendations.

Is this a dig at the Muslim Council of Britain? And if so are you comparing muslims to robots??? Thin ice pal..
This story is not about C3P0 etc. but instead about starting a public debate about the future role of technology in our society. Theses scientists are to be applauded for asking our opinion before taking things too far. Lets not turn it into an anti-PC rant..
Confused Com, Glasgow

Oh good lord - a leftie bringing up Muslims - now who'se starting it?!!!!!!!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Tell it Like It Is, Sanity, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 12:40:14 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

After bringing in 2 million immigrants to vote Labour in the elections, it's obvious that the government have realised that even more disgraceful action is needed for them to stay in power.

Expect a law passed making robots eligible to vote before the next General Election!

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Stewart, cambridge on Tue Apr 24 14:48:26 UTC 2007. 1 recommendations.

Robots should have the same rights afforded to toaters etc................

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Should robots have rights?

Written by Robert Sharr, London, United Kingdom on Tue Apr 24 15:25:14 UTC 2007. 0 recommendations.

"... Any self-aware entity should have the same rights as humans...."

Andy C, Bristol

Andy old man, you are quite clearly:
A truly radical thinker; a dangerous lunatic; or a money grubbing partner in Cherie's Matrix chambers.

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