In our image

[Allea]

I know 12*12=144
I know fire burns my flesh.
I know that if I drop a glass...it breaks.
I know if I say I love you to someone, they either say it back or not...and then I choose a response or action based on their reply.

Forget the mechanical steel robotic limited creations we know at this time as 'Robots' but think of programming capabilities and where they are bound to go.

Are we not robots...of flesh and blood, programmed to make our own choices and choose or suffer our own consequences?

Any who may say that we are not due to 'God' have a legitimate argument, but can also be countered with the theory that 'God' basically made a 'Robot' called 'Man'
Man will never achieve the creation of 'Man' or at least not in my lifetime, but who are we to say that 'God' didn't make us in the same way we would make a robot?
A creation...that is meant to act on it's own and make it's own choices and suffer for what it's 'robotic containment' can't survive or handle as well as what feels like rewards (seretonin, orgasms, adrenaline, etc...) for continuing it's own existence.
We could easily create a robot these days that would be programmed to 'love'
We could say that it would never truly know 'love' but left to survive on a world of their own (much as we are) how would they know that their idea of love wasn't real?
This isn't a 'Does God exist?' thread at all...
For the sake of argument I'll even go against my personal views and say let's assume there is a great creator...

My question is if we should ever create a 'robot' that believes it is real and has true emotions...will it still be a 'creation' or a life of it's own?
If we dislike our creation, will we be allowed to erase it from existence?
After all...it's only a robot...
Maybe 'God' made us as we would make robots and then said... "Damn...that isn't what I expected, but I can't just destroy them since they 'think' they are real..."
Anyway...again, not about God really but about what we would do if we 'make life' and how much control we feel we could impose upon it.
Would we let them be 'free' or would we attempt to control...even if they were made...
In our image

[goosethemighty]

I loved the movie A.I. too! Wanna come to a scientology center?

[Evans]

If we made robots and gave them ideas and emotions, I'd say that we'd have to give them freedom too. But, if we create them for a purpose, whether it be to clean the windows or whatever, they wouldn't need emotions and ideas, hence no freedom aswell.

[polobunny]

What about were just not made by god?
And don't make a robot with emotions?


Evans wrote just what i was thinking.
When you don't play the game you got no chance of winning, but also no chance of loosing.

[Tosca]

If we were robots we wouldn't have souls

[Evans]

Can you verify that?

[Allea]

I can agree with the idea that we just shouldn't even make 'it' in the first place...
But even if you and I don't...someone will...one day.
Out of their own ego for everlasting remembrance and a sense of control even beyond the grave... (maybe?)
So....if (when) another person inevitably creates a 'robot' that believes it is real...whether we agree with it's creation or not, do we have the right to destroy or control it?

By Goosethemighty:
I loved the movie A.I. too! Wanna come to a scientology center?

Personally...(just my opinion) I wouldn't ever let Tom Cruise (or John Travolta, Tea Leoni, Kirstie Alley or even L. Ron Hubbard) tell me anything about my medical needs so...ummm, no thank you.
But I wish you luck if that's what you believe in...shine on, you crazy diamond...

[Tosca]

Can you verify that?

well, being that a soul would be immaterial it would be sorta hard to produce or manufacture in the case of robots.

[Skinner8]

It'll be as much of a creation or own life form as we are.

[Evans]

well, being that a soul would be immaterial it would be sorta hard to produce or manufacture in the case of robots.

I meant, what is a soul to you? Thought? Emotions?

[Tosca]

I meant, what is a soul to you? Thought? Emotions?

to me a soul lets us have emotions and thoughts, creativity, and it actuates life within our bodies

[Xaenn]

Create a robot that has the ability to decide, and then it will be as much living as us. But you can't do that. You could have a sequence of logic, so that it will act accordingly to predetermined parameters. You could also have it act by random chance. Even a combination of the two.

However, there's no way you can program something such that it can choose. We have the ability to choose, which is the sole reason that I believe in the immaterial. Show me a material with this capability and you've got me. Our actions are not based just on random chance, or purely on a number of inputs. There's something more, and that ability to choose, that is who we are.

[Evans]

I see. I don't believe that, so yeah, we could be robots in the extent that such creatures are defined as beings with predictable behaviors.

[polobunny]

How can somebody be 100% sure a soul isn't something physical, as tiny as it could be hidden somewhere in our brain? You know, the brain is still something mysterious for humans. Not that I think it is physical, but someone might and you couldn't prove him wrong.

[Xaenn]

I see. I don't believe that, so yeah, we could be robots in the extent that such creatures are defined as beings with predictable behaviors.

I always wonder how people come to such a conclusion. I think having the ability to choose makes such an ability apparent.