In 2017, writer Martha Wells (b.1964) introduced the The Murderbot diaries. Its 1st story is now available on Apple TV+ as the series Murderbot. Its ingredients make it a great mix to binge-watch: (i) the robot hacks its security module, and thus (ii) creates its free will. An excellent idea: robotic free will !
Obviously, the series also includes Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics (1942):
- “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.”
Other robots in Murderbot have been hacked to murder humans. The reason for those murders are still unclear after having watched episode 6. I suppose it will relate to the needs, wants & beliefs of two different entities: the powerful Corporation Rim versus the naive Preservation Alliance.
Is robotic free will realistic ??
Willpower is mainly the human execution of our faith and beliefs.
In the absence of faith and beliefs, robotic free will is even more realistic than human free will.
“My message to you is this: pretend that you have free will. It’s essential that you behave as if your decisions matter, even though you know they don’t. The reality isn’t important: what’s important is your belief, and believing the lie is the only way to avoid a waking coma. Civilization now depends on self-deception. Perhaps it always has.”
Source: a quote from the 2019 short stories Exhalation by American writer Ted Chiang (b.1967).
Murderbot, official trailer by Apple TV+
video
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.
0 Comments