Daphne begins by asking the following question: ' Is it ethical to create something with all the potential misery that comes with it' ? If that 'something' is a robot, a piece of metal, plastic and wires, then surely that wouldn't be a problem. This 'something' is not alive, so it can't feel pain. ...but is this true? 

To begin with, let's investigate what it would be like for a robot to feel pain.  

What was just described in the context of a robot, is actually no different for an animal or (in our case) a human being. From the electric signals to the brain, to the 'trouble-shooting' process and the possible outcomes, this is exactly how the human body and brain functions when something is wrong. This is an algorithm, and we use it every day until we die. 

So, what's the difference between us and robots?  Well, we believe that we 'have' emotions, that we 'feel'. However, using some Philosophy of Emotions hints, we quickly see that in the context of pure, clean logic, emotions are... not an actual thing. It's how we perceive the uncountable stimuli that the world offers in every moment of our existence. Point being that the arguments we can use in order to support the idea that robots' emotions are not real, immediately brings us to the realization that our own emotions are an illusion. 

So, let's go a bit deeper. Feelings can't be perceived as such, unless they are expressed in some way or another. As we have already discussed, it is easy for robots to express this kind of emotions, either by a message or better yet by using their voice. The latter is important, as it makes the robot look more than something that's alive and not just 'a piece of metal, plastic and wires'.  So, what are we doing when we witness a robot in pain?

As Daphne mentions, witnessing Roomba experiencing pain and expressing it by cursing is perceived as a comical site that makes people laugh. And why would it be something else: we are talking about a robot that curses 10 times a minute, and it is programmed to do so. Hence, the pain is not real. It is only us people that decode this behavior as 'feeling pain'. However, the point I would like to deliver is this: the way that the robot experiences pain should not matter. What should matter is the fact that it communicates its emotions. 

Our emotional reaction might be limited because, well, the hard thing to do is to act and the easy thing to do is to do nothing and just witness. By helping the robot we admit that its emotions moved us. We might even feel that it would be ridiculous to try and help the robot, exactly because we perceive it as not alive. It would mean that we react to something false. Some might make fun of us for being too emotional, while we want to play tough and say 'come on, it's nothing, it's just a piece of metal, plastic and wires'. But deep inside we feel it. Deep inside we want to help the robot, just like we would want to help an animal or another human being (at least that's what I would like to believe).  At the end of the day, and I quote Daphne on this, 'what is even real or fake'? It's all about our experience and how we are processing the events around us. 

So, it's not a matter of whether or not the robot feels pain. It is about us feeling that the robot feels pain.  

And one last thing. I started with a question of whether or not it is ethical to give birth to a creation that will live to experience suffering. It is clear by now that this is a huge discussion. I believe however that creation is an unavoidable urge, and not only in the biological context. Some don't have that urge, most probably have. And to be honest, I do not think that it is necessarily ethical to create something, although we need to spend a lot of time defining and building the context of what is ethical in that sense. But I'm sure about one thing: we should allow ourselves to feel and to experience other creatures' feelings as well. And if we bring something to life, artificial or biological, we better be prepared to do everything to take care of it. We better be prepared to feel.