机器人应该有权利吗？如果机器有了意识会怎样？：英语精读讲义

Imagine a future where your toaster anticipates what kind of toast you want. 表達脈絡

想象一个未来，你的烤面包机能预测你想吃什么烤面包。

During the day,

在白天，

it scans the internet for new and exciting types of toast.

它会在互联网上搜索新奇有趣的烤面包种类。

Maybe it asks you about your day

也许它会问你今天过得怎么样，

and wants to chat about new achievements in toast technology.

并想聊聊烤面包技术的新成就。

At what level would it become a person?

到了什么程度，它才算是一个“人”？

At which point will you ask yourself if your toaster has feelings?

到了什么时候，你会问自己烤面包机是否有感情？

If it did,

如果它有，

would unplugging it be murder?

拔掉它的插头算是谋杀吗？

And would you still own it?

而且你还会继续拥有它吗？

Will we someday be forced to give our machines rights? 語法

有一天我们会不会被迫赋予机器权利？

AI is already all around you.

人工智能已经无处不在了。

It makes sure discounters are stocked with enough snacks. 短語搭配

它确保折扣店里备有足够的零食。

It serves you up just the right internet ad, 短語動詞

它为你推送最精准的网络广告，

and you may have even read a news story written entirely by a machine. 語法

你甚至可能读过完全由机器撰写的新闻报道。

Right now,

现在，

we look at chatbots like Siri and laugh at their primitive simulated emotions.

我们看着像Siri这样的聊天机器人，嘲笑它们简陋的模拟情感。

But it's likely that we will have to deal with beings 短語動詞

但我们很可能将不得不应对这样的存在：

that make it hard to draw the line between real and simulated humanity. 講解

它们让我们难以在真实与模拟的人性之间划清界限。

Are there any machines in existence that deserve rights?

目前有任何机器值得拥有权利吗？

Most likely,

很可能，

not yet.

还没有。

But if they come,

但如果那一天到来，

we are not prepared for it.

我们并没有做好准备。

Much of the philosophy of rights

大多数有关权利的哲学

is ill-equipped to deal with the case of artificial intelligence. 短語搭配

都无法妥善应对人工智能的情况。

Most claims for rights,

对权利的大多数主张，

whether human or animal, 語法

无论针对人类还是动物，

are centered around the question of consciousness. 短語搭配

都围绕着意识这个问题展开。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

nobody knows what consciousness is.

没有人知道意识到底是什么。

Some think that it's immaterial.

有人认为它是非物质的。

Others say it's a state of matter,

也有人说它是一种物质状态，

like gas or liquid.

就像气体或液体一样。

Regardless of the precise definition, 表達脈絡

不管确切的定义如何，

we have an intuitive knowledge of consciousness because we experience it.

我们对意识有一种直观的了解，因为我们正在体验它。

We're aware of ourselves and our surroundings

我们意识到自己和周围的环境，

and know what unconsciousness feels like.

也知道无意识是什么感觉。

Some neuroscientists believe that any sufficiently advanced system

一些神经科学家相信，任何足够先进的系统

can generate consciousness.

都能产生意识。

So,

所以，

if your toaster's hardware was powerful enough, 語法

如果你的烤面包机的硬件足够强大，

it may become self-aware.

它也许会产生自我意识。

If it does,

如果真的如此，

would it deserve rights?

它值得拥有权利吗？

Well,

嗯，

not so fast. 語氣意圖

没那么简单。

Would what we define as rights make sense to it? 短語搭配

我们所定义的“权利”对它来说有意义吗？

Consciousness entitles beings to have rights 語法

意识赋予生命体拥有权利的资格，

because it gives a being the ability to suffer.

因为它赋予了生命体感受痛苦的能力。

It means the ability to not only feel pain, 語法

这意味着不仅能感受到痛苦，

but to be aware of it.

而且能意识到痛苦的存在。

Robots don't suffer,

机器人不会受苦，

and they probably won't unless we program them to. 語法

除非我们把它们编成那样，否则它们可能永远不会。

Without pain or pleasure, 語法

没有痛苦或快乐，

there's no preference,

就没有偏好，

and rights are meaningless.

权利也就变得毫无意义。

Our human rights are deeply tied to our own programming. 短語搭配

我们人类的权利与我们自身的程序深深绑定在一起。

For example,

例如，

we dislike pain because our brains evolved to keep us alive,

我们讨厌痛苦，因为我们大脑进化的目的是让我们活下去，

to stop us from touching a hot fire, 語法

阻止我们触摸灼热的火，

or to make us run away from predators. 短語動詞

或者让我们逃离捕食者。

So,

因此，

we came up with rights that protect us from infringements that cause us pain. 短語動詞

我们想出了权利，来保护我们免受造成痛苦的侵害。

Even more abstract rights,

甚至更抽象的权利，

like freedom,

比如自由，

are rooted in the way our brains are wired to detect what is fair and unfair. 講解

也植根于我们大脑判断公平与不公的连线方式中。

Would a toaster that is unable to move

一台无法移动的烤面包机

mind being locked in a cage? 語法

会介意被关在笼子里吗？

Would it mind being dismantled

如果它对死亡没有恐惧，

if it had no fear of death?

它会介意被拆解吗？

Would it mind being insulted

如果它不需要自尊，

if it had no need for self-esteem?

它会介意被侮辱吗？

But what if we programmed a robot to feel pain and emotions? 語法

但是，如果我们编程让机器人感受到痛苦和情感呢？

To prefer justice over injustice, 語法

让它更喜欢正义而不是不公，

pleasure over pain,

更喜欢快乐而不是痛苦，

and be aware of it?

并且能意识到这一点呢？

Would that make them sufficiently human?

那会让它们变得足够像人类吗？

Many technologists believe that an explosion in technology will occur

许多技术专家相信，技术将迎来爆炸式发展，

when artificial intelligence can learn and create their own artificial intelligences,

届时人工智能可以学习并创造出它们自己的人工智能，

even smarter than themselves.

甚至比它们自己还要聪明。

At this point, 表達脈絡

到那时，

the question of how robots are programmed will be largely out of our control. 短語搭配

机器人如何被编程的问题将基本上脱离我们的控制。

What if an artificial intelligence found it necessary to program the ability to feel pain, 語法

如果人工智能认为有必要将感受痛苦的能力编入程序，

just as evolutionary biology found it necessary in most living creatures? 語法

就像进化生物学在大多数生物中认为必要的那样呢？

Do robots deserve those rights?

机器人值得拥有那些权利吗？

But maybe we should be less worried about the risk that superintelligent robots pose to us 語法

但也许我们与其担心超级智能机器人对我们构成的风险，

and more worried about the danger we pose to them.

不如多担心一下我们对它们构成的危险。

Our whole human identity is based on the idea of human exceptionalism, 文化背景

我们整个人类身份都建立在人类例外论的观念上，

that we are special,

即我们是特殊的，

unique snowflakes entitled to dominate the natural world. 習語

是独一无二的雪花，有权统治自然世界。

Humans have a history of denying that other beings

人类向来有否认其他生命体

are capable of suffering as they do. 短語搭配

像他们一样具有受苦能力的黑历史。

In the midst of the scientific revolution, 短語搭配

在科学革命期间，

Rene Descartes argued that animals were mere automata, 文化背景

勒内·笛卡尔认为动物仅仅是自动机，

robots,

如果你愿意，

if you will. 語氣意圖

也可以叫机器人。

As such, 表達脈絡

因此，

injuring a rabbit was about as morally repugnant as punching a stuffed animal. 語法

伤害一只兔子在道德上的反感程度，差不多就像打一个毛绒玩具一样。

And many of the greatest crimes against humanity were justified by their perpetrators 文化背景

许多最严重的反人类罪行，被作恶者以

on the grounds that the victims were more animal than civilized human.

受害者更像是动物而非文明人类为由进行辩护。

Even more problematic is that we have an economic interest

更有问题的是，在否认机器人权利这件事上，

in denying robot rights.

我们存在经济利益。

If we can coerce a sentient AI,

如果我们能够强迫一个有感知能力的人工智能，

possibly through programmed torture,

也许是通过程序设定的折磨，

into doing as we please,

来按照我们的意愿行事，

the economic potential is unlimited.

其经济潜力将是无限的。

We've done it before,

毕竟，

after all.

我们以前就这么干过。

Violence has been used to force our fellow humans into work,

暴力曾被用来强迫我们的同胞工作，

and we've never had trouble coming up with ideological justifications.

而我们在寻找意识形态上的借口方面从来没有遇到过困难。

Slave owners argued that slavery benefited the slaves.

奴隶主曾辩称奴隶制对奴隶有益。

It put a roof over their head

它让奴隶有了栖身之所，

and taught them Christianity.

并教导了他们基督教。

Men who were against women voting

反对妇女投票权的男人们

argued that it was in women's own interest to leave the hard decisions to men.

辩称将艰难的决定留给男人，才符合妇女自身的利益。

Farmers argued that looking after animals and feeding them

农民们辩称，照料动物并喂养它们，

justifies their early death for our dietary preferences.

就证明了为了我们的饮食偏好让它们早死是正当的。

If robots become sentient,

如果机器人有了感知能力，

there will be no shortage of arguments for those who say that they should remain without rights,

对于那些声称它们应该继续没有权利的人来说，绝对不缺借口，

especially from those who stand to profit from it. 語法

尤其是那些将从中获利的人。

Artificial intelligence raises serious questions about philosophical boundaries.

人工智能引发了关于哲学边界的严肃问题。

While we may ask if sentient robots are conscious or deserving of rights,

虽然我们可能会问有感知的机器人是否具有意识或值得拥有权利，

it forces us to pose basic questions like,

但它迫使我们提出一些基本问题，比如，

what makes us human?

是什么让我们成为人类？

What makes us deserving of rights?

是什么让我们有资格拥有权利？

Regardless of what we think,

无论我们怎么想，

the question might need to be resolved in the near future.

这个问题可能需要在不久的将来得到解决。

What are we going to do if robots start demanding their own rights?

如果机器人开始要求自己的权利，我们该怎么办？

What can robots demanding rights teach us about ourselves?

机器人要求权利，能教会我们关于自身的什么？

Our friends at Wisecrack made a video exploring this very question

我们在 Wisecrack 的朋友制作了一个视频，专门探讨了这个问题，

using the philosophy of Westworld.

并借用了《西部世界》的哲学思想。

Wisecrack dissects pop culture in a unique and philosophical way.

Wisecrack 以一种独特的哲学方式剖析流行文化。

Click here to check out their video

点击这里观看他们的视频，

and subscribe to their channel.

并订阅他们的频道。