The ethics of genetically enhanced monkey-slaves

By EmmaZahn on Thu, 02/27/2014 - 8:10pm |

An interesting discusssion despite the click-bait headline. The interview question and that made the headline possible:

Let’s say it’s the future and you can genetically program a being, like an engineer can currently program computer software. Would it be ethical to create a perfect slave? Is it permissible to create a being that, were it acting freely, would not elect to do anything other than serve you? Or do you have an obligation to give it human-style, personal-freedom-seeking agency?

URL:

http://blog.ted.com/2014/02/19/the-ethics-of-genetically-enhanced-monkey-slaves/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TEDBlog+%28TEDBlog%29

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For the record, I am against creating slaves of any being. Robots are prostheses, not beings, at least not yet, and we should not intentionally try to make them conscious. However, should they develop consciousness independently as a result of a unique combination of applications, I am willing to reconsider.

by EmmaZahn on Thu, 02/27/2014 - 8:27pm

Just hypothetically mind you, and with no particular functions in mind, (ed note: shut up shut up shut up) ) this being we're talking about (ed note: stop it you idiot, stop it right now!) could it look like anyone we wanted it to (ed note: don't you go there you fuckin' pervert or I'll pull this cord right outta the route....)

by jollyroger on Thu, 02/27/2014 - 9:22pm

What? You never read Brave New World?

by EmmaZahn on Thu, 02/27/2014 - 10:59pm

Yeah, but I've run clean outta mescaline...can I borrow a cup?

by jollyroger on Thu, 02/27/2014 - 11:38pm

I say Savulescu should check back in with us in a couple of hundred years when we've figured out: how the human body and the human brain actually works. And then, how medicine can avoid treatments that make people's bodies and brains worse. And then I'll listen. But what medical science doesn't know or understand is HUGE, anyone who has had to deal with a major medical crisis knows this. They still don't even really know things like how the human intestinal system works...and you want to talk about like pre-selecting one, and other body parts? Based on what?

Until then, by man or nature, it's all serendipity. Meddled-with serendipity, natural serendipity, all serendipity. We have only an illusion of power, and with that we already mess around with and experiment with humans with what we do, and call it "medicine," and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

by artappraiser on Thu, 02/27/2014 - 10:03pm

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