Dartz Wrote:I've talked about this, and looked things up on-line. Any court will be very worried about setting a precedent, in case law. They will likely want new central government legislation, to clear things up.Quote:Eire and UK law have no provision for non-homo sapiens as persons.It doesn't expressly forbid it, either. As far as I understand, any individual is a 'person'.... It's a grey area, but since it's not specifically forbidden in the law. A good solicitor might be able to make an argument that an AI would be legally a minor or child before the age of 18.... and could probably use that to finagle out of a contract. A better one might be able to prove competency and win costs in response.
It's a mess that'll be decided by the first test cases. But given that this isn't a dystopia and judges have common sense in Fenspace, it'll be decided quickly in an AI's favour.
There is also a good risk that the Church will get involved, and start talking about things like souls.
Then there will be:
- people who will claim this is all an immense hoax (illegal immigrants in rubber suits may be popular)
- finally the evil alien intelligence behind handwavium is showing itself (and trying to get us to declare it human)
- there is a team of asylum seekers hidden in a room somewhere, remote controlling the robots (so they can get declared as legal residents)
The "Daily Mail", in the UK, will be at the forefront of promoting a thoughtful and reasoned debate ("Run Away! The Sky Is Falling! They've Come To Steal Our Wimmin!"
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"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind