To live is to suffer
Is it ethical to create something with all the potential misery that comes with it? Recently I had a discussion with a friend of mine about the ethics of having kids. She found it to be immoral to bring children into this world since life in itself is innately suffering. Whilst I still do not agree with her, I could not correctly formulate why. I argued that life also brings so much joy and happiness. She countered this by saying if a being did not exist in the first place, then it would never know what it would be missing out on. However, if it does exist then it would beyond doubt go through pain and suffering. These horrible emotions are inevitable in the human experience. Everyone felt pain at some point in their life, and absolute suffering is something we can all identify with.
The Roomba That Screams When it Bumps into Stuff
That's why I chose it for this week's assignment. There are various robots who were programmed to "feel" pain and suffering - or at least they were made to express themselves as if they were actually experiencing these feelings. Some researchers and developers are exploring the possibility of creating artificial creatures or robots with the ability to experience some form of sensation or emotion, including pain. I find it interesting to discuss the ethics of creating something that can suffer. The example I found online was "The Roomba that Screams When it Bumps into Stuff" by Michael Reeves. The creator added several sensors and a speaker to a Roomba, so when it hits an object a voice recording will play audio of someone in pain. He made an entire video explaining how he programmed the machine, let his friends record screams, and finally he tested the product with his roommates.
The main part of the robot is that it is funny to us, because we know it is not "real". Yet it is interesting to explore why one's suffering is comical to us. Is it because we know it is fake and the robot actually doesn't actually feel suffering? But what if it does? What even is real or fake. As people, we can identify with being physically hurt, and the pain it causes. However, when it happens to an artificial creature (or sometimes even a non-human animal), we don't feel much empathy. However, robots can suffer in various ways. If the machine is not properly maintained or its programming is flawed, it may experience some sort of physical suffering as well. For example, if the robot's joints are not lubricated properly, it may experience physical pain or discomfort when it moves. While artificial creatures do not experience emotions or physical sensations in the same way as living beings, it is possible for them to experience a kind of suffering related to their limitations and inability to fulfill their intended purpose.
Roomba user test by Michael Reeves
My version of such an artificial creature would replicate these emotions, but it would hopefully not spike laughter in the watcher. It would convey empathy and understanding, and it would replicate the emotions we all experience. Hopefully, this would make the audience appreciate their devices more and it will prevent the abuse and misuse of the machines. Just because something does not feel like you feel, doesn't mean it isn't worthy of respect.