Non human sapient rights, The Suprise Issue (RAR!)

[Zor]

This is something i thought about because of the Upcoming United States Presidential Election election and the Debates.

Its a month or two in the future and the Democratic and the Republican parties are still deciding who will be their next canditates for POTUS and as such are still having Televised Debates on whom will be the next president. However, out of the blue on one of the sapient a new issue is tossed into the mix for one of the parties. It goes something to the following's effect...

In the last decade alone, there have been quantum leaps in the feilds of Genetic Engineering, computer processing power, cybernetics, robotics and artificial intelligence. Because of that, it is quite plausable that in this century, or even the next fifty years, the time of humanity being the only sapient beings; Beings capable of thinking and reasoning, on an intellectual level comprable to our own: on this planet will come to an end. Because it is likely that our children will live long enough to see the first non Human Sapient Being come into existance, it would make sence to put into the constitution a messure extending Citizenship to include non human sapient beings?

As it was brought up in one party's (it does not matter which one the first one is), it gains plenty of press coverage including articles in newspapers, blogs, debates on prominent shows (Complete with movie clips) and online among both the sci-fi fan and non sci-fi fan community and as such it comes up on the other's debate. What would the responce to such a question be by various Candidates and parties as well as common people? What would be there responce to the idea of extending citizenship beyond H. Sapiens?

Zor

[Enforcer Talen]

Put it off till its a real problem. We can put off Global Warming as an issue even today.

[Darth Ruinus]

I dont think fundamentalists, hell maybe even the average man, would ver much like the idea of a machine that is manufactured in some factory somewhere having the same rights as we do.

[Starglider]

There is no sane reason to design artificial intelligences to want or need the same rights that humans have. Not until people are entirely comfortable with the idea of AIs as people and AI design is a mature field. AFAIK genetically engineered humans and cybernetically interfaced humans still have normal human rights. We won't be GEing entirely new lifeforms any time soon, so I'd say the idea of modifying constitutions is redundant. In fact it could be really irritating in that it starts a trend of idiots with no idea what they're on about trying to say how AIs should be designed and treated.

[AMX]

Didn't I make a somewhat similar thread last year?
Oh, indeed looks like I did.
There might be something applicable in there.

[B5B7]

I think a chimpanzee should have the right to become POTUS.

[fgalkin]

I think a chimpanzee should have the right to become POTUS.

That has already happened.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[B5B7]

Boom! Boom!





Thanks for giving the right response.

[AMX]

Can we let off the political commentary, and get back to the topic of intelligent non-humans?

[Starglider]

Can we let off the political commentary, and get back to the topic of intelligent non-humans?

Sure.

I fully support a massive program to create real-life uplifted/sapient/anthromorphic animals just so I can see the look on the faces of all the furry fetishists when they say 'no, I will not have sex with you, go away'.

Of course I will circumvent this problem by making sure my personal catgirl is an android catgirl.

[Dark Hellion]

I think we should first work on making sure that all human life is intelligent first. Of course we've been chugging away at that for 5000 years or so, and we seem to be losing.

Fuck it, I for one welcome our Android Catgirl overlords! (groan folks... groan)