Conversely, robots that are sophisticated enough to be held criminally liable for their actions may also obtain protections under the law that go beyond those your lawnmower may enjoy. “This situation is similar to corporations, which are non-human legal entities,” Hallevy explained in an email. “Corporations are subject to criminal liability, and part of that ‘deal’ is that they have certain basic rights. Consequently, corporations have the right to sue humans, corporations and even their ‘owners’ (the stock-holders). If we think of AI entities similarly as corporations, we would not see a significant difference.”
In his book, Hallevy elaborates on the notion of corporations as a precedent regarding our potential treatment of robots. They’re not individuals, and they have no moral sentiments or thoughts or feelings of any kind; yet we often find them guilty of crimes and impose punishments on them, independently of specific corporate employees who may also be involved in a crime’s commission.
While A.I. systems may indeed be criminally liable for acts they commit in certain situations, that doesn’t mean they’re easily or effectively punishable. As satisfying as it might be to deliver 50 lashes to a robot butler who cuts in line in front of you at Walgreen’s, that form of justice would be meaningless to the unfeeling machine.
But as Hallevy writes in his book, some traditional functions of punishment, like rehabilitation and incapacitation, are applicable to A.I. entities.
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