Humans & Robots: A Lesson in Ethics and Magic

To the person who once told me that all deep, thought-provoking discussions in college only took place in the classrooms or lecture halls - well, they're wrong. Sometimes those discussions take place in the dorms  at 3 A.M., only with memorable results that guaranteed a spot in a journal of mine. Purging through my stack of used composition notebooks, I came across this gem.


In this scene, I was with two friends of mine who also lived on the ASL floor in our  dorm. The three of us had just completed a marathon of all 8 Harry Potter films to get Friend A up to speed so she could join in discussions with Friend B and I. After explaining to her the Black family tree which the two of us had drawn from memory, the conversation took off on a tangent.

Friend A mentioned a puzzle she was working on in an online game, one that had to do with the Prisoner's Dilemma.

(For an explanation of the Prisoner's Dilemma scenario, go here).

After explaining this to Friend B, she continued to share examples of other mind puzzles that could have multiple answers. One of them led into this extraordinary discussion:

Friend A: Imagine yourself in a room. There are two individuals: one is a human, and the other is a robot. The issue? Which one is human, and which one is a robot? Keep in mind that the robot looks exactly like a human. What would you do to tell them apart?

(*Friend B and I thinking*)

Friend B: Human... and a robot... (*pause*) Oh that's easy! Find the on/off button! Every robot has to have one! Locate it, and push OFF - then it's obvious which one is a robot, and which one is not!

Friend A: (*shaking finger at us*) No, it's not that simple. We're talking advanced technology - think artificial intelligence and all that. No designer would make it so simple that a foe could easily reach out and poke the button to freeze the robot.

(*Friend B and I pouting, and thinking of another option*)

Me: (*glancing over at the power outlet on the wall* Well, robots have to re-charge somehow? Find the plug port?

Friend B: Yes, it should have one so it can recharge!

Friend A: (*groans*) A plug port? (*rolls eyes*) If the robot has an internal battery pack that just happens to get its energy from solar power by absorption through its pseudo-skin, then it wouldn't need an external power plug port, would it?

(*Friend B and I keep on thinking*)

Friend B: Wait - I got it! X-ray! Scan both and see who has a metal skeleton and whose skeleton is made of bone! Then it would be easy to identify which one is which! There - the solution is to X-ray!

Friend A: (*nodding slowly while pondering this possibility*) X-ray? Hmm... What about the two of you? What if  doctors were to do a X-ray of your heads, what would they find? Metal parts - your cochlear implants - CIs. Well? You mention 'see metal = robot!'? Are you implying that you two are robots as well? (*smirks*)

Friend B: Oh come on! (*rolls eyes, muttering something incomprehensible*)

Me: Wait a minute - what if we were to take the hand of the presumably human individual and the hand of the presumably robot hand and cut both? The human hand will bleed red while the robot hand might bleed some other color or some strange chemical? Then the latter would be obviously robotic!

Friend B: Makes sense to me!

Friend A: Now we're onto cutting hands? Are you assuming that both the human and the robot did not consent to any agreement that might include bodily harm or disfigurement? No - you can't - because they would sue you for that action. Besides it's not ethical!

(*Friend B and I think some more*)

Friend B: Hey - know how robots are complex pieces of machinery with circuitry and cables and whatnot? It's complex and it runs on electricity, right? So, what if we were to send both of them to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Due to thousand years' worth of magic seeped into the walls of the old castle, the robot would not be able to function in the magical environment and will short-circuit itself. On the other hand, the human will be just fine. Identity crisis over.

Me: There!

Friend B: Leave it to Hogwarts Castle to do the job!

Friend A: Hogwarts? It could work... But - assuming this situation takes place in the distant future where engineers are able to make a magic-resistant shield for the said robot to ward off possibilities of short-circuiting in magical environments, then the robot would be able to function in old magic areas such as Hogwarts. In that case, what would you do?

(*Friend A grins like the Cheshire Cat*)

(*Friend B rolls eyes and huffs*)

Me: What's left? (*counting off possible scenarios used*)

Friend B: I can't think of anything else.

Me: (*mumbling to oneself*) Oh - but I have an idea! It's simple! (*waits for drum roll*) Cast the Killing curse on both of them. Just go Avada Kedavra with a wand on both of them. The human drops dead and the robot is left standing.

Friend B: (*comparing the pros and cons of that solution*) That could work... yes, that could work...

Friend A: (*tearing hair out*) I told you! It is unethical to deliberately kill someone! (*raises hands in defeat*) You know what? I think I'm gonna go to bed now. This conversation is over. (*glances at the clock*) It's 3, and I'm exhausted!

(*Bed*)

A few weeks later, Friend A is out for the day while Friend B and I eat breakfast together in the dining room.

Me: (*setting glass of apple juice down*) I've been thinking.

Friend B: Hmm?

Me: Remember that discussion the three of us had a while ago? The one about the human and the robot and how to tell them apart?

Friend B: The one after the movies? Yeah...

Me: I've been thinking about it ever since.

Friend B: Still?

Me: (*light bulb goes off in head*) I've got it! (*pause*) Remember the last HP film? When Hermione and the boys enter Number 12 Grimmauld Place? Hermione said something to check out to ensure that there was nobody in the building - what was it?

(*Both of us muttering and flexing fingers trying to find the name of that spell*)

Me: (*slapping the table*) Duh! Homenum Revelio! That's it!

Friend B: YES! That's it - let's tell Friend A!

(*We whip our phones out and text frantically to Friend A to inform her of our discovery*)

Text to Friend A: Homenum Revelio!

(*Friend B and I share smug looks of satisfaction and wait for Friend A's response*)

Me: Finally, the two of us get to u-crush* her! Finally!

Friend B: Yes - about time... (*thinks of the countless times Friend A has crushed his logic*)

(*Phone vibrates - incoming text from Friend A:)

Me: (*glaring at phone and thrusting it into Friend B's face*) Read it.

Text from Friend A: Oh, I already figured it out. 

(*Friend B and I exchange looks of desperation. Our heads meet the surface of the table in defeat*)

Text from Friend A: After watching HP2, I wondered how Dumbledore  knew Harry was there [in Hagrid's hut] under the invisibility cloak so I did some research... then connected the dots. Then I forgot about it until you two brought it up. Nice try - no u-crush* this time : ) 

Friend B: So close... so close...

That discussion spurred a slew of deep, thought-provoking idea exchanges, usually with a Potter reference or two. Next topic: Magic and Technology - can they coexist? What are your thoughts on this? The three of us had a heated discussion on this which involved Star Wars, The Matrix, and of course Harry Potter. So the question - is it, or would it be possible for magic and technology to coexist?




*U-crush: The term u-crush was invented by my friends and I to describe the sign used to describe the action of crushing one's logic, or putting one's foot in one's mouth, etc. The sign is made by a U-shaped hand shape crushing an invisible person in the indicated person's direction. I.e. Friend A was very accomplished in u-crushing Friend B so often, and that Friend B has yet to u-crush Friend A. In texting, it is quite impossible to use the sign, so an English substitute was created, hence u-crush.