機器人應該有權利嗎？如果機器有了意識會怎樣？：英語精讀講義

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

想像一個未來，你的烤麵包機能預測你想吃什麼烤麵包。

During the day,

在白天，

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

它會在網路上搜尋新奇有趣的烤麵包種類。

Maybe it asks you about your day

也許它會問你今天過得怎麼樣，

and wants to chat about new achievements in toast technology.

並想聊聊烤麵包技術的新成就。

At what level would it become a person?

到了什麼程度，它才算是一個「人」？

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

到了什麼時候，你會問自己烤麵包機是否有感情？

If it did,

如果它有，

would unplugging it be murder?

拔掉它的插頭算是謀殺嗎？

And would you still own it?

而且你還會繼續擁有它嗎？

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

有一天我們會不會被迫賦予機器權利？

AI is already all around you.

人工智慧已經無處不在了。

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

它確保折扣店裡備有足夠的零食。

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

它為你推播最精準的網路廣告，

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

你甚至可能讀過完全由機器撰寫的新聞報導。

Right now,

現在，

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

我們看著像 Siri 這樣的聊天機器人，嘲笑它們簡陋的模擬情感。

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

但我們很可能將不得不應對這樣的存在：

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

它們讓我們難以在真實與模擬的人性之間劃清界線。

Are there any machines in existence that deserve rights?

目前有任何機器值得擁有權利嗎？

Most likely,

很可能，

not yet.

還沒有。

But if they come,

但如果那一天到來，

we are not prepared for it.

我們並沒有做好準備。

Much of the philosophy of rights

大多數有關權利的哲學

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

都無法妥善應對人工智慧的情況。

Most claims for rights,

對權利的大多數主張，

whether human or animal, 文法

無論針對人類還是動物，

are centered around the question of consciousness. 片語搭配

都圍繞著意識這個問題展開。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

nobody knows what consciousness is.

沒有人知道意識到底是什麼。

Some think that it's immaterial.

有人認為它是非物質的。

Others say it's a state of matter,

也有人說它是一種物質狀態，

like gas or liquid.

就像氣體或液體一樣。

Regardless of the precise definition, 表達脈絡

不管確切的定義如何，

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

我們對意識有一種直觀的了解，因為我們正在體驗它。

We're aware of ourselves and our surroundings

我們意識到自己和周圍的環境，

and know what unconsciousness feels like.

也知道無意識是什麼感覺。

Some neuroscientists believe that any sufficiently advanced system

一些神經科學家相信，任何足夠先進的系統

can generate consciousness.

都能產生意識。

So,

所以，

if your toaster's hardware was powerful enough, 文法

如果你的烤麵包機的硬體足夠強大，

it may become self-aware.

它也許會產生自我意識。

If it does,

如果真的如此，

would it deserve rights?

它值得擁有權利嗎？

Well,

嗯，

not so fast. 語氣意圖

沒那麼簡單。

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

我們所定義的「權利」對它來說有意義嗎？

Consciousness entitles beings to have rights 文法

意識賦予生命體擁有權利的資格，

because it gives a being the ability to suffer.

因為它賦予了生命體感受痛苦的能力。

It means the ability to not only feel pain, 文法

這意味著不僅能感受到痛苦，

but to be aware of it.

而且能意識到痛苦的存在。

Robots don't suffer,

機器人不會受苦，

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

除非我們把它們編成那樣，否則它們可能永遠不會。

Without pain or pleasure, 文法

沒有痛苦或快樂，

there's no preference,

就沒有偏好，

and rights are meaningless.

權利也就變得毫無意義。

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

我們人類的權利與我們自身的程式深深綁定在一起。

For example,

例如，

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

我們討厭痛苦，因為我們大腦演化的目的是讓我們活下去，

to stop us from touching a hot fire, 文法

阻止我們觸摸灼熱的火，

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

或者讓我們逃離掠食者。

So,

因此，

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

我們想出了權利，來保護我們免受造成痛苦的侵害。

Even more abstract rights,

甚至更抽象的權利，

like freedom,

比如自由，

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

也深植於我們大腦判斷公平與不公的連線方式中。

Would a toaster that is unable to move

一台無法移動的烤麵包機

mind being locked in a cage? 文法

會介意被關在籠子裡嗎？

Would it mind being dismantled

如果它對死亡沒有恐懼，

if it had no fear of death?

它會介意被拆解嗎？

Would it mind being insulted

如果它不需要自尊，

if it had no need for self-esteem?

它會介意被侮辱嗎？

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

但是，如果我們編程讓機器人感受到痛苦和情感呢？

To prefer justice over injustice, 文法

讓它更喜歡正義而不是不公，

pleasure over pain,

更喜歡快樂而不是痛苦，

and be aware of it?

並且能意識到這一點呢？

Would that make them sufficiently human?

那會讓它們變得足夠像人類嗎？

Many technologists believe that an explosion in technology will occur

許多技術專家相信，技術將迎來爆炸式發展，

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

屆時人工智慧可以學習並創造出它們自己的人工智慧，

even smarter than themselves.

甚至比它們自己還要聰明。

At this point, 表達脈絡

到那時，

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

機器人如何被編程的問題將基本上脫離我們的控制。

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

如果人工智慧認為有必要將感受痛苦的能力編入程式，

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

就像演化生物學在大多數生物中認為必要的那樣呢？

Do robots deserve those rights?

機器人值得擁有那些權利嗎？

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

但也許我們與其擔心超級智慧機器人對我們構成的風險，

and more worried about the danger we pose to them.

不如多擔心一下我們對它們構成的危險。

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

我們整個人類身份都建立在人類例外論的觀念上，

that we are special,

即我們是特殊的，

unique snowflakes entitled to dominate the natural world. 慣用語

是獨一無二的雪花，有權統治自然世界。

Humans have a history of denying that other beings

人類向來有否認其他生命體

are capable of suffering as they do. 片語搭配

像他們一樣具有受苦能力的黑歷史。

In the midst of the scientific revolution, 片語搭配

在科學革命期間，

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

勒內·笛卡兒認為動物僅僅是自動機，

robots,

如果你願意，

if you will. 語氣意圖

也可以叫機器人。

As such, 表達脈絡

因此，

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

傷害一隻兔子在道德上的反感程度，差不多就像打一個絨毛玩具一樣。

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

許多最嚴重的反人類罪行，被作惡者以

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

受害者更像是動物而非文明人類為由進行辯護。

Even more problematic is that we have an economic interest

更有問題的是，在否認機器人權利這件事上，

in denying robot rights.

我們存在經濟利益。

If we can coerce a sentient AI,

如果我們能夠強迫一個有感知能力的人工智慧，

possibly through programmed torture,

也許是透過程式設定的折磨，

into doing as we please,

來按照我們的意願行事，

the economic potential is unlimited.

其經濟潛力將是無限的。

We've done it before,

畢竟，

after all.

我們以前就這麼做過。

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

暴力曾被用來強迫我們的同胞工作，

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

而我們在尋找意識形態上的藉口方面從來沒有遇過困難。

Slave owners argued that slavery benefited the slaves.

奴隸主曾辯稱奴隸制對奴隸有益。

It put a roof over their head

它讓奴隸有了棲身之所，

and taught them Christianity.

並教導了他們基督教。

Men who were against women voting

反對婦女投票權的男人們

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

辯稱將艱難的決定留給男人，才符合婦女自身的利益。

Farmers argued that looking after animals and feeding them

農民們辯稱，照料動物並餵養牠們，

justifies their early death for our dietary preferences.

就證明了為了我們的飲食偏好讓牠們早死是正當的。

If robots become sentient,

如果機器人有了感知能力，

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

對於那些聲稱它們應該繼續沒有權利的人來說，絕對不缺藉口，

especially from those who stand to profit from it. 文法

尤其是那些將從中獲利的人。

Artificial intelligence raises serious questions about philosophical boundaries.

人工智慧引發了關於哲學邊界的嚴肅問題。

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

雖然我們可能會問有感知的機器人是否具有意識或值得擁有權利，

it forces us to pose basic questions like,

但它迫使我們提出一些基本問題，比如，

what makes us human?

是什麼讓我們成為人類？

What makes us deserving of rights?

是什麼讓我們有資格擁有權利？

Regardless of what we think,

無論我們怎麼想，

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

這個問題可能需要在不久的將來得到解決。

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

如果機器人開始要求自己的權利，我們該怎麼辦？

What can robots demanding rights teach us about ourselves?

機器人要求權利，能教會我們關於自身的什麼？

Our friends at Wisecrack made a video exploring this very question

我們在 Wisecrack 的朋友製作了一個影片，專門探討了這個問題，

using the philosophy of Westworld.

並借用了《西方極樂園》的哲學思想。

Wisecrack dissects pop culture in a unique and philosophical way.

Wisecrack 以一種獨特的哲學方式剖析流行文化。

Click here to check out their video

點擊這裡觀看他們的影片，

and subscribe to their channel.

並訂閱他們的頻道。