Star trek Voyager 'author,author'

[jonno8339]

Hi all. First off sorry for being quite these past few weeks. Bad weather in the UK has cause alot of work for us in the building trade. Burst pipes, ceilings coming down and general misery.

Just finished watching the Voyager episode called Author,Author. Some really good ideas in this episode. Mainly about the doctors holo program that makes it out that he is somehow oppressed and also all his holo kind.

Heres a question- If the time comes that we/mankind build programs similar to the doctor, at what point would they be entitled to rights?

[wraith1701]

Good question. :)

I'd be more likely to endorse rights for an artificial intelligence like Data than I would The Doctor.

Although created in a lab, Data grew and evolved. Through his interactions with others and his environment, he gradually transformed from a blank slate with potential into a self-aware, feeling being. He grew up. He naturally developed his own distinct personality.

The Doctor just popped into existence already having a pre-programmed personality and behavioral responses designed to mimic human emotions.  He didn't grow into the character we see on Voyager. Life experience and nurturing had no role in shaping who he is.  He is entirely the result of clever program design.

I'm strongly inclined to classify The Doctor as  a very convincing human simulation, but not as a real person.



I'm very interested in hearing what others think of the topic.

[Geekyfanboy]

Good question. :)

I'd be more likely to endorse rights for an artificial intelligence like Data than I would The Doctor.

Although created in a lab, Data grew and evolved. Through his interactions with others and his environment, he gradually transformed from a blank slate with potential into a self-aware, feeling being. He grew up. He naturally developed his own distinct personality.

The Doctor just popped into existence already having a pre-programmed personality and behavioral responses designed to mimic human emotions.  He didn't grow into the character we see on Voyager. Life experience and nurturing had no role in shaping who he is.  He is entirely the result of clever program design.

I'm strongly inclined to classify The Doctor as  a very convincing human simulation, but not as a real person.

I'm very interested in hearing what others think of the topic.

I disagree that the Doctor didn't grow.. he like Data was made in the imagine of man and from the moment they were activated they started to learn and evolve. The Doctor was a completely different character at the end of the series then he was at the beginning.

As for rights for them.. I think as soon as they are self-aware they deserve all the rights as others. I mean human being are just very complicated machine, in a sense.

But human kind has a long way to go. Current human beings don't even give the simple rights to other human being, let alone robots or holograms. We have a long way to go.

[Feathers]

An interesting one and not one with a simple answer.

I think the growth part is required, but how do you define growth? With the Doctor being left on for seven years and being given the 'right' to expand his programme, he certainly changed but was that growth or was it just change?

Clearly from the way the show was built, this was growth but would the equivalent in the 'real world' be the same.

I don't know.

The other question is, if they got rights, what rights would they get? Does a being who can theoretically exist forever get pension rights? The right to reproduce? All of these things would have consequences for the flesh and blood people, but who's to say whether they are right or wrong?

Interesting.

[X]

I think the Doctor's situation causes a huge problem. He hasn't exceeded any part of his core programming. He's grown with it, but he hasn't done anything outside of the initial design specs. I think giving one long running hologram rights would suddenly put into question every other hologram in the Federation.

I can see Minuet as a distinct entity because she exceeded her programming. She wasn't modified with new routines. She surpassed everything she was created for in a unique situation. The Doctor just didn't do that. There is not spark of life. His circumstances could be replicated in any long running program given a mobile emitter. It's not like Minuet, Lal, or the Enterprise's child.