{"id":34889,"date":"2024-01-15T11:47:39","date_gmt":"2024-01-15T19:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=34889"},"modified":"2024-01-15T11:47:39","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T19:47:39","slug":"what-does-it-mean-to-be-human-oh-yeah-and-sex-robots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/what-does-it-mean-to-be-human-oh-yeah-and-sex-robots\/","title":{"rendered":"What *does* it mean to be human? Oh, yeah, and sex robots."},"content":{"rendered":"

In her own blog post, Eve Poole writes, \u201cMy friend is writing a book on robot sex. He\u2019s a professor of ethics<\/a>, so that\u2019s his day job. And jobs seem to be what it\u2019s all about; widespread panic that the robots are going to put us all out of business.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Interesting.<\/p>\n

I listened to a podcast in which Poole talks about how if robots take over sex acts, we will be in great trouble, not because they won\u2019t know how to accomplish the deed, but because consent will be an issue.[2]<\/a> To which I have to ask, if we are programming the robot, then shouldn\u2019t we be able to program consent into the robot?<\/p>\n

Whew. Sex robots was not a topic I thought I would address in this doctoral program!<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m going to stop for now. Not because this topic isn\u2019t fascinating but because it is only part of a much bigger issue.<\/p>\n

In her book Robot Souls<\/em>, Eve Poole addresses the larger issue, what makes us human versus what makes a robot, well, a robot? \u201cWhether or not \u2013 and when- the robots will take over is a moot point,\u201d Poole writes, \u201cbut what would most help us navigate this contested terrain is a clearer sense of what it actually means to be human.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

One way to define what it means to be human is to engage the concept of the soul, or as Poole refers to it, \u201cjunk code\u201d or emotions, free will, and a sense of purpose.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cIt is this \u2018junk\u2019 which is at the heart of humanity. Our junk code consists of human emotions, our propensity for mistakes, our inclination to tell stories, our uncanny sixth sense, our capacity to cope with uncertainty, an unshakeable sense of our own free will, and our ability to see meaning in the world around us. This junk code is in fact vital to human flourishing, because behind all of these flaky and whimsical properties lies a coordinated attempt to keep our species safe. Together they act as a range of ameliorators with a common theme: they keep us in community so that there is safety in numbers.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

On the topic of what it means to be human, author and professor, Kate Bowler, writes, “It is our vulnerability that is the truest thing about us, the place where mutual connection is possible, where competition ends and community begins.” (see poem below)<\/p>\n

As a pastor and as a mother, I am especially interested\/concerned about our ability\/inability to program AI with \u201cjunk code.\u201d My kids already spend a lot of time talking to a computer instead of real-live human beings. I have an app on my phone that (supposedly) helps with emotional problems, much like a real live therapist. I installed this app as an experiment, wanting to see if it did well what it claimed to do. This app does write as a real human might write, giving one the impression she is speaking to a live person. However, I have not found the given \u201cadvice\u201d to be all that helpful.<\/p>\n

Poole says, \u201cIf we can decipher that code (junk code), the part that makes us all want to survive and thrive together as a species, we can share it with the machines. Giving them to all intents and purposes a \u2018soul\u2019.\u201d[5]<\/a> I have a really difficult time wrapping my mind around programming a \u201csoul\u201d into a robot.<\/p>\n

In an interview on her book , Poole, likens this sort of programming to parenting. As creators are responsible for our creations. If they end up as psychopaths, well, we are somewhat responsible for the chaos they create in the world. If they create goodness and flourishing, well then, I guess we can pat ourselves on the back. This then makes me wonder about God. Considering the evil God’s created humans inflict upon one another, should we then be holding God accountable? I don’t know…<\/p>\n

I admit that I tend to bury my head in the sand when it comes to AI and robots taking over the world. I want to believe that it won\u2019t happen, even as Poole says it definitely will occur. I guess my job as a religious leader, as a mother, as a friend, as a human being, is pull my head out of that sand, to keep reading, learning, paying attention. My job is to continually put the person and teachings of Jesus Christ before us as we continue to develop AI. To remind myself and others that we are not God. We are created in the image of God and while we have the ability to create, that does not make us greater than the Creator.<\/p>\n

Back to sex robots. If we figure out how to program “junk code” into robots, then I have to think we can program consent into sex robots. However, if we are created for community, sex is probably always going to be better with a real live human rather than with a robot. Even if we can create a \u201csoul\u201d into a robot, I just cannot believe that \u201csoul\u201d will be equal to that of a real live human being. But what do I know?<\/p>\n

I leave you with this blessing written by professor and author, Kate Bowler,<\/p>\n

A BLESSING FOR
\nBEING HUMAN
\nBlessed are we, living in this small space, in these
\nbodies we now inhabit, within the walls of
\ncircumstance, in these short years and finite strength,
\nand with these eyes that see only so far. We are
\nfragile, contingent beings.
\nYet blessed are we, recognizing that it is our limits as
\nwell as our gifts that can shape the natural contours
\nof what is possible, that guide us to what is ours to do.
\nBlessed are we when it is not our greatness that
\nspeaks, but our littleness. For it is our vulnerability
\nthat is the truest thing about us, the place where
\nmutual connection is possible, where competition
\nends and community begins.
\nAnd oh how blessed are we in our fragility and
\ndependence and brokenness, knowing that You, O
\nGod, hold all things together.
\nThere is no cure for being human\u2026but for each other, we
\nare all good medicine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Eve Poole, Robot Souls?<\/em>, 2017, \u00a0https:\/\/evepoole.com\/robot-souls\/.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Robot Souls, AI and What it Means to be Human, 2023, \u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UcmMiWYpy5wPodcast<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Eve Poole, Robot Souls?<\/em>, 2017, \u00a0https:\/\/evepoole.com\/robot-souls\/<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Taylor & Francis Group, Robot Souls and \u201cJunk Code\u201d: Should AI Be Given a Human Conscience?<\/em>, June 18, 2023, https:\/\/scitechdaily.com\/robot-souls-and-junk-code-should-ai-be-given-a-human-conscience\/<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In her own blog post, Eve Poole writes, \u201cMy friend is writing a book on robot sex. He\u2019s a professor of ethics, so that\u2019s his day job. And jobs seem to be what it\u2019s all about; widespread panic that the robots are going to put us all out of business.\u201d[1] Interesting. I listened to a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2489,2548,2090],"class_list":["post-34889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp02","tag-ai","tag-poole","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34889"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34895,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34889\/revisions\/34895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}