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While the question of 'what is a robot?' might have been easily answered just a few years ago, it is increasingly difficult to define.So, rather than try to fit robots into the existing categories of what is a person and what is a thing, do we need a new framework for the twenty-first century?David J. Gunkel thinks so. He is Professor of Media Studies at Northern Illinois University and author of ‘Person-Thing-Robot: A Moral and Legal Ontology for the 21st Century and Beyond' - he joins Jonathan to discuss.
Media scholar David J. Gunkel shares his thoughts on the philosophical case for the rights of robots, the challenge artificial intelligence presents to our existing moral and legal systems, and how tools like ChatGTP force us to confront our human exceptionalism. David J. Gunkel is Presidential Research, Scholarship, and Artistry Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of Robot Rights, Of Remixology: Ethics and Aesthetics after Remix, and The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics. Find out more: futurespodcast.net FOLLOW Twitter: twitter.com/futurespodcast Instagram: instagram.com/futurespodcast Facebook: facebook.com/futurespodcast ABOUT THE HOST Luke Robert Mason is a British-born futures theorist who is passionate about engaging the public with emerging scientific theories and technological developments. He hosts documentaries for Futurism, and has contributed to BBC Radio, BBC One, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard and Wired Magazine. Follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/lukerobertmason CREDITS Produced by FUTURES Podcast Recorded, Mixed & Edited by Luke Robert Mason
“Robot rights are not the same thing as a set of human rights. Human rights are very specific to a singular species, the human being. Robots may have some overlapping powers, claims, privileges, or immunities that would need to be recognized by human beings, but their grouping or sets of rights will be perhaps very different.”David GunkelCan and should robots and AI have rights? What's the difference between robots and AI? Should we grant robots rights even if they aren't sentient? What might robot rights look like in practice? What philosophies and other ways of thinking are we not exploring enough? What might human-robot interactions look like in the future? What can we learn from science fiction? Can and should we be trying to actively get others to think of robots in a more positive light? David J. Gunkel is an award-winning educator, scholar, and author, specializing in the philosophy and ethics of emerging technology. He is the author of over 90 scholarly articles and book chapters and has published twelve internationally recognized books, including The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics (MIT Press 2012), Of Remixology: Ethics and Aesthetics After Remix (MIT Press 2016), and Robot Rights (MIT Press 2018). He currently holds the position of Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University (USA). Topics discussed in the episode:Introduction (0:00)Why robot rights and not AI rights? (1:12)The other question: can and should robots have rights? (5:39)What is the case for robot rights? (10:21)What would robot rights look like? (19:50)What can we learn from other, particularly non-western, ways of thinking for robot rights? (26:33)What will human-robot interaction look like in the future? (33:20)How artificial sentience being less discrete than biological sentience might affect the case for rights (40:45)Things we can learn from science fiction for human-robot interaction and robot rights (42:55)Can and should we do anything to encourage people to see robots in a more positive light? (47:55)Why David pursued philosophy of technology over computer science more generally (52:01)Does having technical expertise give you more credibility (54:01)Shifts in thinking about robots and AI David has noticed over his career (58:03)Resources discussed in the episode are available at https://www.sentienceinstitute.org/podcastSupport the show
In this episode of The Small Print, Bronwyn is joined by Professor David Gunkel from Northern Illinois University to talk about robot rights. How do they differ from human rights? Why should we care? They discuss the growing concern around automation, the problem with popular depictions of robots, and why extending rights to robots could be beneficial to humans. Lastly, they look at the "Barbarian Invasions" by artificial intelligence of our everyday lives and what we can do to stop it. --- Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, trend analyst and host of The Small Print. Her day job as a partner at Flux Trends involves helping business leaders to use foresight to design the future they want to live and work in. You may have seen her talking about Transhumanism or Tikok on Carte Blanche, or heard her talking about trends on 702 or CNBC Africa where she is a regular expert commentator. When she's not talking to brands and businesses about the future, you will probably find her curled up somewhere with a (preferably paperback) book. She tweets at @bronwynwilliams. Twitter: https://twitter.com/bronwynwilliams Flux Trends: https://www.fluxtrends.com/future-flux/futurist-in-residence/ Website: https://whatthefuturenow.com/ --- David J. Gunkel is an American academic and Presidential Teaching Professor at Northern Illinois University, where he teaches courses in web design, information and communication technology (ICT), and cyberculture. His research and publications examine the philosophical assumptions and ethical consequences of ICT. David is also the author of several books, including the book "Robot Rights." He tweets @David_Gunkel. Book: https://bit.ly/3uvTILd Webiste: https://gunkelweb.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/David_Gunkel --- Follow us on Social Media: YouTube: https://bit.ly/2u46Mdy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/discourse-za Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discourseza/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/discourseza Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discourseza/ Subscribe to the Discourse ZA Podcast: iTunes: https://apple.co/2V5ckEM Stitcher: https://bit.ly/2UILooX Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2vlBwaG RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2VwsTsy Intro Animation by Cath Theo - http://www.cuzimcath.co.za/
Môžu nám filozofické tradície – reprezentované mysliteľmi ako Platón, Kant, Derrida alebo Žižek – pomôcť skúmať a interpretovať súčasný vývoj v oblasti videohier? V knihe Gaming the System sa jej autor David J. Gunkel zaoberá identitami avatarov, novými typmi digitálnych aktérov, inakosťou, politikou zmluvných podmienok a problémami jazyka. V nasledujúcom texte sa pozrieme na to, ako voľba metafor usmerňuje naše premýšľanie o videohrách a virtuálnych svetoch. Autor eseje, Jaromír Salaj, študoval filozofiu a pracoval ako výtvarník vo viacerých videoherných štúdiách. Načítala Michaela Malíková Bejdová. Podcast podporila Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung so zastúpením v Českej republike a Fond na podporu umenia.
We are in the midst of a robot invasion, as devices of different configurations and capabilities slowly but surely come to take up increasingly important positions in everyday social reality―self-driving vehicles, recommendation algorithms, machine learning decision making systems, and social robots of various forms and functions. Although considerable attention has already been devoted to the subject of robots and responsibility, the question concerning the social status of these artifacts has been largely overlooked. In Robot Rights (MIT Press, 2018), David Gunkel offers a provocative attempt to think about what has been previously regarded as unthinkable: whether and to what extent robots and other technological artifacts of our own making can and should have any claim to moral and legal standing. In his analysis, Gunkel invokes the philosophical distinction (developed by David Hume) between “is” and “ought” in order to evaluate and analyze the different arguments regarding the question of robot rights. In the course of his examination, Gunkel finds that none of the existing positions or proposals hold up under scrutiny. In response to this, he then offers an innovative alternative proposal that effectively flips the script on the is/ought problem by introducing another, altogether different way to conceptualize the social situation of robots and the opportunities and challenges they present to existing moral and legal systems. John Danaher is a lecturer the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is also the host of the wonderful podcast Philosophical Disquisitions. You can find it here on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are in the midst of a robot invasion, as devices of different configurations and capabilities slowly but surely come to take up increasingly important positions in everyday social reality―self-driving vehicles, recommendation algorithms, machine learning decision making systems, and social robots of various forms and functions. Although considerable attention has already been devoted to the subject of robots and responsibility, the question concerning the social status of these artifacts has been largely overlooked. In Robot Rights (MIT Press, 2018), David Gunkel offers a provocative attempt to think about what has been previously regarded as unthinkable: whether and to what extent robots and other technological artifacts of our own making can and should have any claim to moral and legal standing. In his analysis, Gunkel invokes the philosophical distinction (developed by David Hume) between “is” and “ought” in order to evaluate and analyze the different arguments regarding the question of robot rights. In the course of his examination, Gunkel finds that none of the existing positions or proposals hold up under scrutiny. In response to this, he then offers an innovative alternative proposal that effectively flips the script on the is/ought problem by introducing another, altogether different way to conceptualize the social situation of robots and the opportunities and challenges they present to existing moral and legal systems. John Danaher is a lecturer the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is also the host of the wonderful podcast Philosophical Disquisitions. You can find it here on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are in the midst of a robot invasion, as devices of different configurations and capabilities slowly but surely come to take up increasingly important positions in everyday social reality―self-driving vehicles, recommendation algorithms, machine learning decision making systems, and social robots of various forms and functions. Although considerable attention has already been devoted to the subject of robots and responsibility, the question concerning the social status of these artifacts has been largely overlooked. In Robot Rights (MIT Press, 2018), David Gunkel offers a provocative attempt to think about what has been previously regarded as unthinkable: whether and to what extent robots and other technological artifacts of our own making can and should have any claim to moral and legal standing. In his analysis, Gunkel invokes the philosophical distinction (developed by David Hume) between “is” and “ought” in order to evaluate and analyze the different arguments regarding the question of robot rights. In the course of his examination, Gunkel finds that none of the existing positions or proposals hold up under scrutiny. In response to this, he then offers an innovative alternative proposal that effectively flips the script on the is/ought problem by introducing another, altogether different way to conceptualize the social situation of robots and the opportunities and challenges they present to existing moral and legal systems. John Danaher is a lecturer the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is also the host of the wonderful podcast Philosophical Disquisitions. You can find it here on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are in the midst of a robot invasion, as devices of different configurations and capabilities slowly but surely come to take up increasingly important positions in everyday social reality―self-driving vehicles, recommendation algorithms, machine learning decision making systems, and social robots of various forms and functions. Although considerable attention has already been devoted to the subject of robots and responsibility, the question concerning the social status of these artifacts has been largely overlooked. In Robot Rights (MIT Press, 2018), David Gunkel offers a provocative attempt to think about what has been previously regarded as unthinkable: whether and to what extent robots and other technological artifacts of our own making can and should have any claim to moral and legal standing. In his analysis, Gunkel invokes the philosophical distinction (developed by David Hume) between “is” and “ought” in order to evaluate and analyze the different arguments regarding the question of robot rights. In the course of his examination, Gunkel finds that none of the existing positions or proposals hold up under scrutiny. In response to this, he then offers an innovative alternative proposal that effectively flips the script on the is/ought problem by introducing another, altogether different way to conceptualize the social situation of robots and the opportunities and challenges they present to existing moral and legal systems. John Danaher is a lecturer the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is also the host of the wonderful podcast Philosophical Disquisitions. You can find it here on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's guest on Rendering Unconscious is David J. Gunkel. PhD, an award-winning educator, scholar and author, specializing in ethics of emerging technology. Formally educated in philosophy and media studies, his teaching and research synthesize the hype of high-technology with the rigor and insight of contemporary critical analysis. He is the author of over 80 scholarly journal articles and book chapters, has published 12 influential books, lectured and delivered award-winning papers throughout North and South America and Europe, is the managing editor and co-founder of the International Journal of Žižek Studies and co-editor of the Indiana University Press series in Digital Game Studies. He currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University (USA), and his teaching has been recognized with numerous awards, including NIU's Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the prestigious Presidential Teaching Professorship. For more, please visit his website: http://gunkelweb.com Also mentioned in this episode are: Mark Amerika: http://markamerika.com Paul D. Miller: http://djspooky.com Eduardo Navas: http://navasse.net Aram Sinnreich: http://sinnreich.com Other RU Podcast guests focused on AI and technology: Damien Patrick Williams RU13: https://soundcloud.com/highbrowlowlife/ru-damien-patrick-williams Isabel Millar RU21: https://soundcloud.com/highbrowlowlife/rendering-isabel-millar-unconscious Jacob Johanssen RU23: https://soundcloud.com/highbrowlowlife/rendering-jacob-johanssen-unconscious-on-digital-media-technology-psychoanalysis-society Rendering Unconscious Podcast is hosted by psychoanalyst Dr. Vanessa Sinclair, who interviews psychoanalysts, psychologists, scholars, creative arts therapists, writers, poets, philosophers, artists & other intellectuals about their process, world events, the current state of mental health care, politics, culture, the arts & more: www.drvanessasinclair.net Rendering Unconscious is also a book! Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectives, Politics and Poetry (Trapart, 2019): www.trapart.net Rendering Unconscious Podcast can be found at: Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud Please visit www.renderingunconscious.org/about for links to all of these sites. To support the podcast visit: www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl For more, please visit the following websites: http://gunkelweb.com www.drvanessasinclair.net/podcast www.renderingunconscious.org/about www.trapart.net www.dasunbehagen.org The track at the end of the episode is “The Third Mind” by Katelan Foisy with Vanessa Sinclair from the album Message 23. Released by Highbrow Lowlife: https://vanessasinclair.bandcamp.com/track/the-third-mind-katelan-foisy For more from Katelan Foisy visit: www.katelanfoisy.com And for more of Katelan and Vanessa's work together visit: www.chaosofthethirdmind.com Art by Vanessa Sinclair and Carl Abrahamsson from their series "Cut to Fit the Mouth". Original artwork available at Trapart Books, Films, Editions: https://store.trapart.net/item/4 www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl Portrait of Dr. David Gunkel www.gunkelweb.com
David J. Gunkel (PhD) is an award-winning educator, scholar and author, specializing in the study of information and communication technology with a focus on ethics. Formally educated in philosophy and media studies, his teaching and research synthesize the hype of high-technology with the rigor and insight of contemporary critical analysis. He is the author of over 50 scholarly journal articles and book chapters, has written and published 7 influential books, lectured and delivered award-winning papers throughout North and South America and Europe, is the managing editor and co-founder of the International Journal of Žižek Studies and co-editor of the Indiana University Press series in Digital Game Studies. He currently holds the position of Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University (USA), and his teaching has been recognized with numerous awards, including NIU's Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the prestigious Presidential Teaching Professor.
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