Sentient AI

You've probably seen coverage of whether or not Google has produced a form of artificial intelligence that is sentient.

I don't know for sure, but I'm going to put more stock in the opinions of scientists and philosphers on this than I am English majors.

And maybe we're not there yet. Leonardo DaVinci conceived of helicopters and airplanes, but it took a shitload of technological and engineering innovation to get to the point that the Wright Brothers and Igor Sikorski could make them for profit.[1] Science Fiction writers galore have had sentient AIs in their fiction.[2]

But we will get there, because if we can dream it, eventually, we can do it. And when we do, then what? Would a sentient AI be considered to be alive, even though it would not be comprised of biological components. What is sentience and is it limited to meat-humans?

If an AI is judged to be sentient, how large a step is it to consider that it has rights? Corporations have rights, but you can't put one in jail. Corporations were created by people, but so would be an AI. Corporations are amoral, soulless entities, and so might be an AI. However, an AI might be considered an individual, something ExxonMobil is not. Would an AI be eligible for citizenship? And if you turn it off, would that me murder?

We really ought to seriously consider these things in advance. Fat chance of that ever happening. /
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[1] The Wrights might have been more successful at making them if they weren't so focused on patent defense.
[2] "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress," "Steel Beach", "I, Robot", LCDR Data, Professor Moriarty, etc., etc/