In this episode Sven and John discuss the moral status of machines, particularly humanoid robots. Could machines ever be more than mere things? Some people see this debate as a distraction from the important ethical questions pertaining to technology; others take it more seriously. Sven and John share their thoughts on this topic and give some guidance as to how to think about the nature of moral status and its significance.

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Recommended Reading

• David Gunkel, Person, Thing, Robot
• Butlin, Long et al ‘Consciousness in AI: Insights from the Science of Consciousness‘
• Summary of the above paper from Daily Nous.