This resolution is in queue and should come to vote midnight Sunday-to-Monday EST, 0500 Monday GMT, or 4:00 PM Monday AEDT.



AI Coexistence Protocol

A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.
 
Category: Human Rights
    
Strength: Mild
    
Proposed by: Sierra Lyricalia

Description: EXCITED that many nations are on the cusp of developing artificial intelligence,

CLEAR that natural fears needn't stain relations between civilizations before they even develop,

HOPEFUL that synthetic and biological life can coexist peacefully, having conquered the dangers of a runaway information singularity,

and

UTTERLY DETERMINED to avoid the hideous tragedy of self-fulfilling prophecy,

The World Assembly therefore:

1. Defines artificial intelligence or "AI" for purposes of this resolution as any mind, computer program or collection thereof, synthetic brain, or other intelligence that a) was created, by accident or on purpose, by means other than biological reproduction and its adjuncts and innovations, broadly construed; and b) is able to demonstrate sufficient intelligence, learning capacity, emotion, moral reasoning, self-direction/ambition, introspection, and mental stability that it would be classified by a WA nation's relevant experts as displaying personality; legal competence; and ineligibility for involuntary psychiatric commitment; if it were an ordinary, biological legal resident thereof;

2. Requires that any AI meeting the above requirements be treated on an equal basis under the law with biological beings of equivalent citizenship and residential status; excepting that AI reproduction must be undertaken on similar resource-use principles to those reproduction methods and laws available to the majority of a WA member's inhabitants;

3. Prohibits the construction of unrestrained self-replicating machines, all-consuming nanomatter, "gray goo," or any other form of runaway assimilatory mechanism. Permissible non-intelligent autonomous self-replicating machinery must include:
   a. externally operable whole-swarm shutdown mechanisms;
   b. local, individual automatic instant shutdown via actuator switch or circuit breaker in case of malfunction or security breach;
   c. secure, reliable command-&-control functions with constant intelligent supervision;

4. Instructs WASP, ULC, and WADB to offer consultations with WA states on best practices of machine/network security and command & control dependability, including programming and construction assistance; and to run wargames and bench tests for heavily networked nations to test response scenarios to runaway mechanisms, matter, or hostile AIs;

5. Encourages WA nations to have serious national discussions about the numerous ramifications of the creation of life before permitting or funding the construction of substrates capable of achieving AI status;

6. Clarifies that, except as mandated by WA law on discrimination or the movement of persons, nothing herein requires WA nations to:
- permit initial construction of AIs
- admit AIs into their physical or informational jurisdiction
- refrain from deporting AIs should they enter such jurisdiction due to emergency or misadventure
- fail to take precautions against a coordinated AI rising, as long as no isolated crime is interpreted by itself as evidence of such a rising.

Reply

Support, as author.

I wanted to give everyone a chance to ask questions about the resolution before it comes to vote.  The basic ambition here is to head off any possibility of robot dystopia, whether that's a Terminator scenario where humans are exterminated, or a Blade Runner scenario where obviously living beings are enslaved and subjected to daily outrages; or anything in between.  No human (or ursine, equestrian, etc.) nation is rendered defenseless by the mere requirement to treat conscious machines with dignity; the various security provisions should make that clear.  Rather, if passed this will preemptively lay the groundwork for biological and artificial people to share the benefits of civilization.

So ask away, I'll respond as soon as I'm able.  Thanks for your time!

Reply

If it makes a difference, while there's been no discussion here, most of the region appears to be in favor:

Amongst the South Pacific residents, voting is currently 87-42 (67% For).

Your Regional WA Delegate, Hileville, has voted AGAINST this resolution.



If there are substantive criticisms, I'm happy to address them.  If, on the other hand, the Delegate's current vote against is arbitrary, I'd ask you to reconsider.  Thanks.

Reply