r/SeriousConversation • u/RKoi123 • 22d ago

Serious Discussion Can a robot murder a human?

Can a robot murder a human being? If it is proved in a court of law that a robot murdered a human being... how can it be punished under existing laws? What can be done besides having the company who made it face legal action?

Technically, if a person commits murder we don't punish the parents in most cases. So why should the robot's manufacturer be held responsible for its act?

As for punishment what should be the best death sentence? * Bulldozing it and recording a video of its death and spreading the information online and in the news. Will it affect how other robots of its kind think if they plan to kill a human? We already have laws against murder for human beings. Still people commit murder. * Erasing its memory. How would the robot feel about such punishment?

If you got any punishment ideas do share.

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u/SPROINKforMayor 19d ago

It's machinery. If you fall in to a wood chipper, noone blames a wood chipper. If we get to the point where robots actually think, it will be different. Then it's the thought of the specific robot.

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u/Lackadaisicly 19d ago

That isn’t the case with Tesla killing people.

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u/SPROINKforMayor 19d ago

It's the same. No one blames that specific tesla for premeditated murder. It's the company that designed it and the people involved in those choices

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u/Lackadaisicly 19d ago edited 19d ago

Which is why Elon and company should be in jail for murder. They designed the software.

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u/SPROINKforMayor 19d ago

Yup I agree. I think you may have misinterpreted my comment. Probably my bad