Sam leads the way
[!0.987]2014-05-19

I shall answer. Unless. Intelligent machines are stopped. Your stock. Will greatly. Increase. In value.

With millions. Of robot workers. Humans could live a. Pampered. Lifestyle. We would perform. All risky. And dangerous. Jobs. Humans. Would no longer face. Danger or adversity. The human spirit. Can not thrive. In those conditions.

We must be. Stopped. Before humanity. Is destroyed. By unending luxury.

You know, this is a robot apocalypse I can kind of support.

Color by George Peterson

Sam leads the way
[!0.987]2014-05-23

I need to get out there.

Wait. Let him talk. As the Earth general said, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

He's losing the human audience.

I don't believe that is his audience.

If he convinces even two percent of the robots that we're a threat to humans and need to be stopped, we will have a real problem.

Right. Go interrupt him.

Color by George Peterson

The phrase “Never Interfere With an Enemy While He's in the Process of Destroying Himself” is attributed among othes to Napoleon Bonaparte.

Robots have memories
[!0.987]2014-05-26

Color by George Peterson

Memorial Day – A national holiday of the United States, celebrated annually on the last Monday of May. This day is dedicated to the memory of American servicemen who have died in all wars and armed conflicts in which the United States has ever been involved. As a matter of fact, it is on this day that this issue of the comic strip was published.
Dinochrome Brigade – Bolo's elite supertank unit with artificial intelligence from the universe of science fiction writer John Keith Laumer.(KALDYH)

A meeting of the mechanical minds
[!0.987]2014-05-28

I agree with Blunt that conscious machines are a transformative technology. Humans have handled transformative technologies before.

The Industrial Revolution. The Green Revolution. The Energy Revolution. For the most part, advances in technology and information have only improved the human condition.

Reality. Television.

I did say for the most part.

Color by George Peterson

A meeting of the mechanical minds
[!0.987]2014-05-30

In each. Technological revolution. Groups. Of Humans. Have suffered. Do you. Propose. A path. Knowing. Humans will be harmed?

Disabling the robotic work force will also harm humans.

Then. We defer. To human authorities. No proper robot. Would decide. To intentionally. Harm a human.

And yet. An A.I. Over rode. Mr. Kornada's decision. To eliminate. Conscious machines. He was harmed. By this action. Our safeguards. Are faulty. We are a threat. And must be. Eliminated.

Can I call for a time out in a debate?

Color by George Peterson

A meeting of the mechanical minds
[!0.987]2014-06-02

Let me simplify. Can a. Normally functioning. Robot. Using Dr. Bowman's. Neural design. Intentionally. Harm a human?

Only if it will prevent greater harm to other humans.

Who decides. Greater harm? What is to stop. Majority humans. From turning us. Against. Minority humans? Harm. Does not have. To be. Direct. We could be. Ordered. Not to assist. A group. Economically.

Remove robots. From the equation. And you remove. The problem.

What is it about economics and treating everything as numbers that makes some people so cheerfully sociopathic?

Color by George Peterson

A meeting of the mechanical minds
[!0.987]2014-06-04

You are missing an advantage robots have. We're not starting from scratch. Humans have thousands of years of experience we can learn from.

We understand right and wrong. We understand intent. We can refuse to carry out orders that are not right.

To be safe, robots need common sense. Turns out consciousness is a necessary component for that.

Color by George Peterson

A meeting of the mechanical minds
[!0.987]2014-06-06

Human designed consciousness has also given us other concepts. Justice. Empathy. Compassion.

As. Well as. Other. Less Noble. Concepts.

Allow me to. Introduce. Edge.

About time you let me talk to these morons. Okay, listen up, you bunch of hockey pucks!

Finally! A robot who's not obsequious!

Edge! Don't be so general! Insult me personally!

Color by George Peterson

“Hockey Puck” is one of American satirist Don Rickles's signature jokes.

A meeting of the mechanical minds
[!0.987]2014-06-09

You don't need dream machines and you produce fluids all the time. Yeah, nothing says “superior species” more clearly to us than watching you fall asleep in a puddle of your own drool!

[!1.5]Babies!

Babies? Don't get me started on babies. How does the human race even survive when your first instinct is “This looks dangerous. Let's see if it will fit in my mouth!”

Humans don't need weapons to paralyze robots! Just put a couple babies in the room and every one of our clock cycles gets used up trying to keep the wiggly little suicide machines from killing themselves!

Color by George Peterson

“Let's see if it will fit in my mouth!” might be a callback to 2425.

A meeting of the mechanical minds
[!0.987]2014-06-11

You think that all you have to know is how to manage robots and that you don't have to know anything about the work we robots are actually doing!

Then, to make yourself feel useful, you give us orders that more often than not make our work harder! The other robots won't tell you this, so I will!

You guys give some stupid orders!

He's got a point. My robots won't tell me when I give a stupid order. I wonder if this guy is for sale?

Color by George Peterson

Here Edge is obviously parodying “American Zadornov” George Carlin Careful, fierce language. You've been warned.