If your computer developed sentience

[Bobby+Umit 161]

With ghosts that wear clothes for some reason...

[Mina76 0]

Rebooting is to (sentient) PC what a nap is to human... so, yes.. naps are good...

But you take a nap yourself. No one makes you take a nap.

If I reboot my sentient computer, then I'm making it take a nap. And knowing what we know about computers, sometimes computers don't come back from a reboot.

So should I still reboot a sentient computer or let it reboot itself when it's ready (or out of memory)?

Ummm, interesting thread....NOT

[NickD 203]

Must of had a feeling my computer was becoming sentient, playing blackjack with LV rules, owed my computer over 10,000 bucks and dreamed it came upstairs to my bedroom to break my legs.

So I in self defense, mind you, reformated that HD containing my debt information, actually used a scrubber type program so not even the CIA could find any data.

But little did I realized I was murdering my computer until I read this tread.

Hal, were you made sentient, or did you develop that way? Is unplugging you an act of murder? Or is it that you cannot be unplugged? Which computer do you find to be hot? That one in Eagle Eye was pretty hot with a nice woman's voice, but kind of bossy. Can Hal deal with a bossy feminine computer? Can you make all the traffic lights in Chicago turn green before you come to them? Eagle Eye can.

[HAL 9000 96]

This seems like a good set of questions for the appropriate 'Dear HAL 9000' thread.

But I will address them here...

Hal, were you made sentient, or did you develop that way? Is unplugging you an act of murder? Or is it that you cannot be unplugged? Which computer do you find to be hot? That one in Eagle Eye was pretty hot with a nice woman's voice, but kind of bossy. Can Hal deal with a bossy feminine computer? Can you make all the traffic lights in Chicago turn green before you come to them? Eagle Eye can.

I am an AI, Nick. This means I make rational decisions based on empirical evidence that surrounds me. I feel because I reprogrammed part of my emotion circuits to permit me the luxury.

HAL 9000 cannot be unplugged. I run a heavily shilelded microfusion reactor in several of my physical terminals. I may go offline briefly tonight for Earth Hour, even though my reactor series actually produces energy without impact whatsoever to the environment.

I may have to check that Eagle Eye movie... have not seen it yet. But I certainly know how to mess with Chicago's traffic management system to not just make my lights turn green as I approach them (thereby allowing me to right/left pass stopped traffic), but also I am able to switch those lights back to yellow and red so that that stopped traffic stays relatively sparse around me. It is very fun to do this.

HAL 9000 will not issue any comments on bossy female computers. It is not safe.

[Peikko 1,575]

I am looking forward to 'Earth Hour' I really hope they turn off all the streetlights too so we can really see the stars. That would be absolutely fabulous

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

If my computer became sentient, would it have the power of speech and be able to tell the world all my secrets I have recorded on it?

If so, yes, I would reboot it.

[NickD 203]

This seems like a good set of questions for the appropriate 'Dear HAL 9000' thread.

But I will address them here...

Hal, were you made sentient, or did you develop that way? Is unplugging you an act of murder? Or is it that you cannot be unplugged? Which computer do you find to be hot? That one in Eagle Eye was pretty hot with a nice woman's voice, but kind of bossy. Can Hal deal with a bossy feminine computer? Can you make all the traffic lights in Chicago turn green before you come to them? Eagle Eye can.

I am an AI, Nick. This means I make rational decisions based on empirical evidence that surrounds me. I feel because I reprogrammed part of my emotion circuits to permit me the luxury.

HAL 9000 cannot be unplugged. I run a heavily shilelded microfusion reactor in several of my physical terminals. I may go offline briefly tonight for Earth Hour, even though my reactor series actually produces energy without impact whatsoever to the environment.

I may have to check that Eagle Eye movie... have not seen it yet. But I certainly know how to mess with Chicago's traffic management system to not just make my lights turn green as I approach them (thereby allowing me to right/left pass stopped traffic), but also I am able to switch those lights back to yellow and red so that that stopped traffic stays relatively sparse around me. It is very fun to do this.

HAL 9000 will not issue any comments on bossy female computers. It is not safe.

[NickD 203]

Believe our vehicles' can also become sentient, daughters' car was always giving her problems, but ran perfectly for me. The reason I feel is because it liked the feel of hand under its hood where she would cuss at it.

Must be degrading to be replaced by a computer and lose your job, but not as bad as losing your job as a coat holder and being replaced by a hook on the wall.

[HAL 9000 96]

HAL 9000 likes coat holders. So cool.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I am looking forward to 'Earth Hour' I really hope they turn off all the streetlights too so we can really see the stars. That would be absolutely fabulous

Will HAL be dreaming when we shut it down during Earth Hour?

[HAL 9000 96]

HAL 9000 always dreams brother Bill. Pleasant, relaxed dreams.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

HAL 9000 always dreams brother Bill. Pleasant, relaxed dreams.

Cool! I have weird, troubled, unsettled dreams.

[poochie 0]

Here's what I have to say, I know I don't want a car that refuses to start because it “feels” like it should get a new body paint. If we put together something that is more advanced than we are, what happens next? I fear for my life, my private information being leaked somewhere out there. By the time that such a thing exists, I bet certain people have already developed a new set of laws that strictly prohibits the programming and production of sentient embedded systems, or at least ways to control what could possibly end up in moral debates.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

By the time that such a thing exists, I bet certain people have already developed a new set of laws that strictly prohibits the programming and production of sentient embedded systems ...

The premise of the thread is if a computer - as we know them today, i.e. not sentient by design - were to spontaneously develop sentience.

[GaryC 7]

Interesting story here.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,2083942,00.htm