Newsgroups: comp.ai
From: James@jmorton.demon.co.uk (James Morton)
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!news.mathworks.com!udel!gatech!swrinde!pipex!demon!jmorton.demon.co.uk!James
Subject: Can an AI be moral?
Organization: Cheltenham College of H.E.
Reply-To: James@jmorton.demon.co.uk
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Date: Sun, 13 Nov 1994 00:03:13 +0000
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I am currently working on an essay discussing the question "Can an
artificial intelligence be moral?" as part of my computing degree. To help
with my research, I prepared a simple questionaire on the subject for my
fellow students. Having since found this usegroup, I thought that the views
of experts in the field would be interesting.  I would be very grateful
to anyone who could complete and return the attached brief questionaire.

My knowledge about the subject is extremely limited, so apologies if the
questions are a little naive and simplistic (and remember the questions
were written for non-AI types).  A simple Yes or No is fine, although
any elaborations welcomed.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

James Morton. (James@jmorton.demon.co.uk)


                               Questionaire
                               ------------

1) Expert systems are slowly replacing human workers in the commercial and
   industrial workplace.  Do you regard this as a positive or negative
   development?

2) Do you forsee that true consciousness in machines will ever be a reality?

3) Is it morally right to attempt to acheive such an aim?

4) Do you believe that AI is a moral problem on a par with, for example,
   genetic engineering?

5) Could you ever regard an "intelligent" machine as a sentient entity, with
   similar rights to those humans have?

6) If AI produced machines capable of rational thought, do you believe it
   would be right to treat them as tools of mankind?

7) A favourite scenario of the science fiction genre is that of intelligent
   computers threatening or even superceding mankind in the future.  Is this
   merely sci-fi or a real possibility?


