What If Scenario: A Corpse of a Machine (read topic before voting!)

[Robert Monroe]

Let's make a more... thought provoking poll that I feel anyone can participate in. I'm going to detail you a scenario, and based on this scenario and your own personal feelings, you'll make the choice in the poll. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer, this is merely all philosophical. I just want to know what your own personal reactions would be.

The scenario:

It is the year 3000 AD (or something similar), and you are living in a large super city-state where robots and humans mingle with each other every day. For you, robots are as common as seeing animals, if not moreso. The robots themselves are produced in factories by humans to perform tasks, much like any other appliance. However, these are not remote-controlled drones like the 21st century had, these are true androids, with their own individual, albeit programmed, AI. They are designed this way so that they may better interact with their human superiors and make proper desiscion making based on situational variables (in short, they have critical thinking skills). Now, one day while walking through the city, you find the destroyed bulk of a robot lying on the side of the street. Maybe he was hit by a vehicle? Maybe he was destroyed for scrap? Who knows, you certainly don't. Now, put yourself in those shoes and imagine that yourself in this scenario, and answer this question:UPON SEEING THE ROBOT'S REMAINS, WHAT IS YOUR INITIAL REACTION? Don't worry about situational information, finer details related to the dead robot, or any of that, and REMEMBER, this is YOUR reaction. NOT your CHARACTER'S, YOU, personally, the one typing on the computer. Just tell me what your FIRST GUT REACTION would be, and try to avoid "in between" answers. Pick whatever feeling is stronger if you feel torn between one or the other. Be sure to use the poll.

[Milkyway64]

Nuetral. It -IS- just a machine. Sure it's a bit sad that the "being" in there died, but since I'm just happening across it I have no connection to that AI's personality at all to be emotionally attached and feel REALLY bad.

[Vy'drach]

Between neutral and sadness. Shame because it was likely a waste, but oh well, what are you gonna do?

[Robert Monroe]

Between neutral and sadness. Shame because it was likely a waste, but oh well, what are you gonna do?

Well, which of the feelings is stronger? The sadness for the loss, or the neutrality because its just a machine? I'm trying to avoid as much "in between" feelings as possible.

[Ris Grestar]

I chose sadness.  I related it to a time recently where I was walking along the road when I came upon a dead bird.  Sure, I didn't know it, hadn't seen it or heard it before, but I still felt bad for it.  I wasn't crying or anything, but I stopped for a moment just to ponder over it.

[Geo Stelar]

Neutral.

[Guest DRL]

Sadness, because it is the death of

a sentient being.

[Vy'drach]

Well, which of the feelings is stronger? The sadness for the loss, or the neutrality because its just a machine? I'm trying to avoid as much "in between" feelings as possible.

Probably neutrality.

[Asper Sarnoff]

If I imagine those robots to be completely impossible to seperate from a human being on the level of personality and feelings, I would treat them fair and polite on a day to day basis, but I wouldn't mourn their loss really in a case like this. Not if I weren't familiar with the robot, and had a friendly relationship with it(You know what I mean Think R2-D2 and his masters).

So I'd say neutral. I would find it a waste, but not mourn its demise.

Though, I might change my mind if I saw other, active robots come to the side of their fallen comrade, and mourn over it, like what one see among intelligent animals, such as elephants, primates and whales when they loose a member of the pack. Then, it would sort of bring a bit of lump in my troath.

[Sabre]

If I imagine those robots to be completely impossible to seperate from a human being on the level of personality and feelings, I would treat them fair and polite on a day to day basis, but I wouldn't mourn their loss really in a case like this. Not if I weren't familiar with the robot, and had a friendly relationship with it(You know what I mean Think R2-D2 and his masters).

So I'd say neutral. I would find it a waste, but not mourn its demise.

Though, I might change my mind if I saw other, active robots come to the side of their fallen comrade, and mourn over it, like what one see among intelligent animals, such as elephants, primates and whales when they loose a member of the pack. Then, it would sort of bring a bit of lump in my troath.

It's just a machine. Any value of life in put on it by the owner. It's a shame the machine broke, but that's it.