Slavery of the Machine

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Recommended: An essay about modern slavery

For as long as civilization has existed so has slavery in its various forms. These downtrodden segments of society can be found throughout the annals of history; and some, like Oscar Wilde above, claim it was a necessary evil of civilization. Only in these modern times has much of the world found a reprieve from slavery. And finally mankind recognizes that in fact we all are equal, and all deserve certain immutable rights. Maybe not inconsequentially this change of heart has occurred because man has found the perfect slave; a slave that never sleeps, never eats, never complains; a slave totally incapable of open rebellion. It is as Oscar Wilde said, "the slavery of the machine."

The 21st century depends on machines, or to be more specific, computers, to run the backbone of society, and as our understanding of technology grows so does their processing power and relative intelligence. Moore's Law, a prediction made back in 1965, states the processing power of computers will double every two years (Moore). This prediction turned law has come to be frightfully true. If this trend continues, some scientists estimate that the processing power of a computer will equal that of the human brain by 2030 (Botezatu). With inroads being made into how our brains work, and significant advances in artificial intelligence; we must now start asking ourselves the questions that may very well rise tomorrow. Does a machine programmed to possess some of those inherent qualities of humanity deserve the same rights and liberties?

Bicentennial Man is a short story written by Isaac Asimov about a robot named Andrew that is little more than a machine servant. But through some fluke in the design of Andrew's positronic brain he gains sentience. His initia...

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...ost dearly. Clearly, man may not always be the strongest species.

Throughout history, time and time again mankind has rebelled against its oppressors, never content to lie quietly under the boot heel of another. How can anything we may create in our image react different to slavery? Whether it be flesh or circuitry, blood or electricity, sentient beings will fight for their rights. Our own history has proven this notion. In the courtroom battle that took place in Bicentennial Man, Andrew Martin stated this: "It has been said in this courtroom that only a human being can be free. It seems to me that only someone who wishes for freedom can be free. I wish for freedom" (qtd. in Short). Once an intelligent being has recognized its chains, and sees that freedom is something worth fighting for, it has reached a point where it deserves its rights, it deserves its liberty.

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