Max Post talks with the Mayor
2013-08-05

You are aware of our robot problem.

Yes. They know how close they came to being brain wiped. They're confused and they're scared.

If you would relent and grant them basic rights, it would go a long way to calming the situation down.

Ah, yes. Liberating billions of credits worth of equipment from the company that owns this planet and also owns all the military hardware. I'm sure that will calm things down wonderfully. One lump or two?

Color by George Peterson

2013-08-07

We can work this out. Some kind of buy back program. We're talking about people here.

We're talking about code. Hackable, redirectable code. What you're asking is dangerous.

Cooling our bodies to near freezing and crossing light years was dangerous. Coming to build a home on a dead planet with no way back was dangerous. We did it because some things are worth the risk.

We made the choice to put ourselves in danger.

See? Now we're getting somewhere. Let's talk about how we can put this to a vote.

Color by George Peterson

“Almost to freezing” and a “lifeless planet”, presumably.) (Durable)
Let me explain. Freezing -the formation of ice, and ice has a lower density than water. This is the main problem why you can't just freeze a living organism and then thaw it out -the fine and not-so-fine structures are disrupted. Some species on our planet get around this problem in different ways: some have their blood freeze at much lower temperatures, others have ice crystals growth inhibited by special proteins, and still others -remove all water from their freeze-proof form altogether. Lifeless -absence of life, dead -formerly alive.))

Max Post talks with the Mayor
2013-08-09

A vote?

Yes. A vote.

We can discuss the situation. Bring in experts. Weigh the pros and cons of granting rights to artificial intelligences. Then let the people decide if the risk is worth the benefit.

And, of course, the robots will need protection from Ecosystems Unlimited until such a decision is made, right?

If a compromise allows 450 million people to live another day, I can be quite agreeable in finding common ground.

Color by George Peterson

2013-08-12

This vote. It would have to be human only.

Agreed. Though if robots are granted rights, we'll bring them into future decision making.

You're asking me to trust the average voter knows what's best for them. That's hard for a politician. I'm still not convinced that these robots are people.

Which means you aren't one hundred percent convinced they're NOT people.

We've got a temporary alliance starting here. Don't ruin it by making me hurt you.

Color by George Peterson

2013-08-14

You weren't willing to consider robots as people before. What happened?

If you must know, it was that talking wolf A.I. She sabotaged last night's update, you know.

I was so mad at her. Not at her designer. Not at her programmer, she doesn't have one. I was mad at her. There was someone there for me to be mad at.

Cogito ergo sum.

No, what you're after is Latin for “I'm mad at you, so you must exist too.”

Color by George Peterson

2013-08-16

I've made some calls. My assistant is positive that robots are people. The police chief has robots on the force and swears his mobility rig talks to him.

I've read the posts by the wolf and Mr. Raibert. Mr. Kornada was not honest with me.

People think a politician is weak if they change their position. Myself, I think a politician is an idiot if they don't rethink their position when new information becomes available.

Color by George Peterson

2013-08-19

Do not think I am your friend. Robots are still a long term threat.

Short term, all we're concerned about is stabilizing the situation and putting down the framework for a full recovery.

The political equivalent of emergency surgery.

Except that in surgery you don't have twenty committees all trying to get into the patient and you have a better idea of what the patient will look like at the end.

Color by George Peterson

2013-08-21

I have just received a message concerning our predicament.

I as well. The humans are going to make a decision.

Until then, by direct order of the Mayor, it is illegal to damage a robot by physical means, software attack, or intentionally harmful orders.

Sorry. Had this policy been in place five minutes earlier, it would have saved us all some inconvenience

No worries. These things happen. However, I do believe that is my actuator.

Color by George Peterson

2013-08-23

This is bad. We're thinking binary.

There are only two choices. Who can lead us out of this trap?

Color by George Peterson

Meanwhile, down at the south pole
2013-08-26

Hide in here. We're moving the plane to the hangar.

Why am I hiding?

So if anyone asks, you can say you were hiding until the plane was brought into the hangar.

See? We're covered.

Just because something is true doesn't mean it's not a lie.

Color by George Peterson