In a rapidly evolving world where technology blurs the lines between science fiction and reality, the need for a comprehensive framework of rights to govern sapient technologies is becoming apparent. Robots seeking citizenship, laboratory-grown brains, and virtual intelligences expressing emotions may sound like the stuff of fiction, but they are quickly becoming tangible realities. Futurists and technologists are working to draft bills of rights that will guide us through this transformative era, hoping to prevent moral and civil rights dilemmas that could arise within little more than a decade.
Over the past half-century, the microprocessor's capacity has doubled approximately every 18-24 months, and some experts predict that by 2030, machine intelligence could surpass human capabilities. The question then arises: When machines reach human-level intelligence, should they be granted protection and rights? Will they desire and perhaps even demand such rights?
Beyond advancements in microprocessors, we're witnessing breakthroughs in genetic editing, stem cells, and 3D bioprinting, all which also hold the potential to help create cyborg entities displaying consciousness and intelligence. Notably, Yale University's experiments stimulating dead pig brains have ignited debates in the animal rights realm, raising questions about the ethical implications of reviving consciousness.
Amid these emerging scientific frontiers, a void in ethical guidelines exists, akin to the Wild West of the impending cyborg age. To address these ethical challenges, a slew of futurist-oriented bills of rights have emerged in the last decade. One of the most prominent is the Transhumanist Bill of Rights, which is in its third revision through crowdsourcing and was published verbatim by Wired in 2018.
These cyborg bills encompass a broad array of protections, including safeguards for thinking robots, gender recognition for virtual intelligences, regulations for genetically engineered sapient beings, and the defense of freedoms for biohackers modifying their bodies. Some also incorporate tech-driven rules to combat environmental threats like asteroids, pandemics, and nuclear war.
Back in 2015, I authored the initial version of the Transhumanist Bill of Rights, then posted it on the U.S. Capitol, surrounded by police ready to arrest me for the act. The single-paged bill, taped onto the building, swiftly succumbed to the wind. The incident was met with laughter by a watching crowd (including journalists), highlighting the audacity of attempting to integrate a futurist bill of rights into U.S. governance at the time.
Eight years later, as AIs like ChatGPT demonstrate ever-increasing sophistication, and genetically modified humans are born in China, a bill of rights seems less fantastical. Conversations on the necessity and content of a futurist bill of rights have evolved, encompassing institutions like the Cato Institute, World Economic Forum, and the University of Oxford, where I am a graduate student in practical ethics.
An overarching goal of the half dozen or so cyborg-inspired bills of rights floating around the internet is to eventually integrate their principles, in some form, into the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This historic document created in 1948 has played a pivotal role in shaping human rights across the globe, setting precedents for governments and their laws.
Surprisingly, one obstacle to gaining serious consideration for a transhumanist bill of rights arises from minority groups who fear it may undermine their historic movements. For instance, while plenty of transhumanists identify as part of the LGBTQ community, the latter has been hesitant to engage with futurist LGBTQ issues, such as non-gender roleplaying in virtual environments. They believe that their hard-fought quest for rights should remain their central focus, viewing a futurist bill of rights as a potential distraction.
Respecting and acknowledging these concerns is crucial, but it should not deter the trajectory of radical technologies. It's becoming increasingly evident that society will eventually need to confront pressing questions, such as whether superintelligent robots can vote, if human heads can be transplanted onto new bodies, or whether college education can be downloaded into human brains. These realities may well unfold long before this century concludes.
If society fails to accept that emerging sapient lifeforms, whether digital or biological, also require rights and protections, it will inevitably face civil strife as it attempts to catch up with what is fair and moral. At the very least, societies and politicians must initiate a dialogue within their governments and begin drafting preliminary legal documents outlining potential rights for this evolving future and how these new intelligent lifeforms should be treated. Preparing for this new era is not a choice but a necessity to ensure a just and equitable transition into an age of unprecedented technological advancement.
Zoltan Istvan writes and speaks on transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and the future. He is the author of The Transhumanist Wager, and is the subject of the forthcoming biography by Dr. Ben Murnane and Changemakers Books titled, Transhuman Citizen: Zoltan Istvan's Hunt for Immortality.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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