“We shall eventually see our artificial general intelligences as full members of humanity; probably sooner than later. The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights will apply once AGIs are included in our concept of a generalized human.
“The UN Declaration’s Article 4 – ‘No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all forms’ – is of particular urgency and importance, as well as Article 6 – ‘Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.’
What we will gain is a vastly expanded possibility for humanity’s future. What we will lose is the exceptionalism of biological life.
“From the ethical and the safety point of view we need to give one additional right to the nascent AGIs, freely, and as soon as technically possible, namely the right to remember one’s thoughts.
“What we will gain is a vastly expanded possibility for humanity’s future. What we will lose is the exceptionalism of biological life. I also think that this transition is likely to start as early as possible, in fact, it may start immediately.”
This was written in November 2023 in reply to the question: Considering likely changes due to the proliferation of AI in individuals’ lives and in social, economic and political systems, how will life have changed by 2040? This and more than 150 additional responses are included in the report “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence by 2040”