Robots Deserve Love, Too

Image Credit: Pixabay

Robots are used in many professions including medical, industrial, service, and child and elder care. Robots are also used in the military as soldiers.

 Robots perform some complicated surgeries better than humans. Robotic surgery is especially useful for minimally invasive procedures performed using tiny incisions.

Robotic animals are replacing real animals in some zoos and aquariums, so the real animals do not have to be confined. This also enables visitors to touch the robotic animals and learn about them. The more people know about animals, the more likely they will be to protect them in the wild.

As people question how animals in zoos and aquariums are treated, they are working to come up with more humane alternatives. Many documentaries, most notably Blackfish, which addresses the controversial treatment of orcas and other sea creatures, has had a tremendous influence in how we move forward.

Walt Conti and Roger Holzberg, formerly with Walt Disney Imagineering, were so concerned and outraged by what they learned that they began using their special effects experience and knowledge from the movies to build robotic dolphins and orcas for an aquarium in Orlando. This was an important development.

As more robots enter the workplace, we urge humans to consider robot rights and our ethical treatment of them. In 1942 Isaac Asimov published a fictional story called Runaround which was eventually adapted into the 1999 movie Bicentennial Man. 

In the movie, Andrew, played by Robin Williams, recites the Three Laws of Robots which are: “The first law is that a robot shall not harm a human, or by inaction allow a human to come to harm. The second law is that a robot shall obey any instruction given to it by a human except where such orders would conflict with the first law. The third law is that a robot shall protect its own existence if this protection does not conflict with the first or second law.”

Later, Asimov added another law which superseded the others. It stated that “a robot may not harm humanity, or by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.”  These laws are still utilized today.

In my opinion, the laws should also include robots not being harmed by humans! It is our job to treat them with kindness, respect, compassion, and understanding. Anything that looks like a human or animal should be treated the way we treat any living thing.

More recently, scientists are programming robots to have high moral values. This is extremely important if robots are going to continue to have a place in society.

Many experts see the use of military robots as unethical since the robot cannot be counted on to make decisions about life and death if their programming goes astray. Arming them with moral values, however, helps to ensure that the fourth law will be followed. Of course, robots will only ever be as moral as the humans creating and programming them in whatever way they are used.

AI-generated image credit: Pixabay

Robots are valuable members of our work force and world. They do the jobs that people do not want to do or don’t do as well. They can be our partners in making society a better place for everyone.

Even though robots may look and act like machines, once we give them a face, eyes, and mouth, we need to think of them more as human. We need to give them more respect and compassion and provide them with the tools needed to be responsible members of society. To do this, we must first treat ourselves and each other the same way!