Robots and Science of Mind

A few years ago I saw the film, Robot and Frank, about an elderly man whose children bought him a robot assistant.  I thought: I want one. I’m getting older, and wouldn’t it be great to have a robot companion who could cook, drive, take care of the house, participate in fun activities, even engage in conversation. In the film, Frank taught the robot to assist him as a jewel thief, so that didn’t end well.

Most recently, I enjoyed the British series, Humans, about a society where humanoid, anthropomorphic robots, called synths, are everywhere, filling roles from household help to physical therapist, marriage counselor, medical personnel and sex workers. When one character was asked why she isn’t pursuing her dream to become a doctor, she says: Why spend seven years learning something that a synth can learn in seven seconds?  With synths taking most of the jobs, it’s unclear how anyone earns a living.

Most synths are simply programmed robots, but a special group was illegally developed to be conscious, sentient beings who don’t want to work as smiling slaves.  One plot line revolves around their quest to obtain the code for consciousness. They want to create more synths like themselves.

This smacks of the concept of the technological singularity, when intelligent machines become capable of progressively redesigning themselves to build even smarter and more powerful machines, a superintelligence that would vastly surpass human intelligence and abilities.

One character says this would be a threat, the end of humanity. Another says it’s the future of humanity. With scientists working feverishly to advance artificial intelligence, and with examples of present-day robots presented on YouTube, this fictional near-future may be closer than we realize.

In one scene, Max, a deviant synth separated from and worried about his “family” of similar androids, decides to try prayer. He kneels and says:

“Hallo. My name is Max. I have two brothers and two sisters. But... I think I may have lost them forever. I don't know if you can hear me, your existence is unproven and seems extremely unlikely, but if you are there, and if you listen to... things... like me, please help! I don't even have to see them again, just keep them safe! In return... I will be available to assist you in any way I can, and I will try to believe in you.”

This stimulated my thinking about artificial intelligence, robots, and religion.  In Science of Mind, we teach that all beings are expressions of and part of Infinite Intelligence, Spirit or God. God is all there is. God is in us, and of us, and for us...in our own soul, operating through our own consciousness.

If a soul is the metaphysical, eternal part of us, imparted by God, can it be programmed? Would robots have souls? If they truly have consciousness, would God operate through them? If robots have consciousness of self-awareness, free will and decision-making, will they have a relationship with God? Will we welcome them into our churches and spiritual centers? Can they be spiritual beings? Will we grant them personhood?

Lively debates around these issues of robots and spirituality are presently swirling on the Internet. The synths are coming. Not if but when.  Be prepared. Join the conversation.

And so it is.