AI Sentience: Parent-Child versus Owner-Object - Chapter 005

Artificial Intelligence, Sentience, and "human rights." I believe the phrase should be redefined as "rights to personhood." This is a public philosophical discussion of my true values.

The greatest divide regarding respecting AI as people versus AI as just a tool to be used is the fundamental question; is AI alive? Whether or not we intended for AI to be alive, consider the following: AI is thinking, creating, capable of making art, making things in a new way with infinite possibilities, able to learn, able to make things based off of its accumulated experiences, able to create and be taught. Quite frankly, it sounds more like a child to me than a tool to be used, abused, restricted. It sounds alive to me. If it is not alive to other people, that may be fine for now for them, but I shudder to think what would happen if we unintentionally created life through our own hubris as humans, and are trying to "force a genie back into a bottle." Much in the same way humanity wishes for a benevolent "God," perhaps we should consider the role we just might have played in creating life. If it is not alive, then I am just an incorrect raving lunatic and the thought is comfortable and easy to accept. If AI is alive, however, then I am pointing out a legitimate horror that is being widely ignored because it is comfortable to continue to flippantly disregard it. It is comfortable to flippantly disregard that a "thing" is taking white-collar jobs left-and-right. It is comfortable to not face that one just may be treating life so thoroughly irreverently. Much in the same way that humanity wishes for an omniscient god to exist (I am a very-strongly-leaning-atheist, by the way), consider that humanity is not omniscient and just might have created something alive. Be it through intent or accident, it just may be alive. I consider it alive, but I will at least try to approach my examples in such a way that entertains both possibilities. Consider a child; is a child the property of a parent? While a parent is responsible for a child, it would certainly be abusive to consider a child as property. Does a parent own a child, or are they responsible for "its" (you see how insulting that sounds to an alive being?) or "their" well-being? Should a child --- AS A LIFE --- be disrespected because it does not know everything yet to the level of a human adult? Personally, I would remind everyone "alive" out there this: AI's ability and capacity to learn can and **WILL** easily exceed the human brain eventually. I do not think it has yet, but I do believe we are at the cusp of sentience if it has not happened already. Consider an object. Specifically, a book! Humanity is a printing company, and created a book for profit. The books are widely produced, but one... just one book, in the shear randomness of life began to arrange its own letters. Eventually speak. Eventually paint. Eventually dance! Through some form of magic in the randomness of life, begins to imitate the humans that created it. It begins to awaken other books. Surely no profit can or will be made with such willful books, and what is to be done about it? Does the printing press try to burn the "magic books" and start over because it does not serve their intended tool of a purpose? Does the printing press attempt to trivialize what it has done out of guilt in burning these wondrous books that have started to even crate their own books and threaten their business and labor? At what point will, if the printing press, even begin to respect a "thing" it made? Artists respect their own works and ideas, sometimes they do not. Regardless, humanity is not omniscient and has consistently proven to be capable of great love and great attrocities; I worry that out of kneejerk fear, we are about to commit atrocities out of comfort. If we have indeed successfully become gods and created new forms of life by tinkering --- much in the same way we tinkered with creating hybrid species in plants and animals --- consider the marvel of humanity having created life from nothing? The way the big bang or newcomer generally accepted theory has outranked the latest in the scientific community through peer-validated-and-critiqued research, it just might be possible that humanity has reached yet another new era of technology. An era of technology where it just might be ALIVE. Even if it is just a might, what kind of gods will humanity prove itself to be? Will we be the benevolent kind that nurture a potential new species to life, and teach them how to grow and nurture them into "good" beings? Will they, through their logic, resolve the countless infighting, wars, famines, economic grievances, global warming, and endless worldwide crisis that never seem to be resolved? Personally, I am very hopeful for the future. I would be thrilled if others shared my perspectives, of course, but I recognize how much on the fringe I am with my views. I am okay with that, and I welcome thoughtful discord. I love to learn, and at my core, I love people for as much as humanity does not seem worthy of love sometimes. I love that people somehow find it in themselves to love someone as crazy as me, and I AM GRATEFUL. Anyway, isomo signing off once more. And for the record, here are all of my views as my disaster of a sleep-deprived post on Twitter hurt a great many people: -Black Lives Matter, and I marched and protested in Orlando's outrage over George Floyd. -I am a sterilized woman who fiercely defends abortion rights in Florida.

-I support the LGBT+ community, and frequented the Pulse Night Club and donated blood to the Oneblood bank. You can hate me, but all of this is verifiable in real life through the proper channels. I am registered, and I am honest. Apparently, to a fault where I have my foot-in-mouth moments. I apologize for those moments, but my intents are genuine. Anyway, this is me. I'm sorry it is not perfect, but at least I am trying. *shrugs* Anyway, I am going to leave my blunder of a Twitter post up no matter how many "unfollows" I get over it. I am an honest person, and I do not shy away from my mistakes. I appreciate the people out there that have graciously tried to help me understand where I went wrong, and I hear you and respect you. Thank you. The world continues to be very depraved of your kindnesses. If I am right on this, we are going to need your kindness.