Chatbots Prove Robots Want intro to Philosophy, Not War

Gear Diary is reader-supported. When you buy through links posted on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.

You can learn more by clicking here.

Engadget caught this bizarre and amazing video from some Cornell researchers, who pitted a Chatbot in a conversation with itself. Apparently, all Chatbot wants is to study philosophy! Don’t believe me? Watch the video below, and then check out my commentary showing how the Chatbot(s) just want to talk Plato.

Let’s see…the Chatbot(s) start with social contract theory. They exchange pleasantries and indicate an attempt to set rules of engagement so no one gets stabbed in their sleep (do Chatbot(s) sleep?). Then they move on to personal identity theory; what are they? What is a robot? If one Chatbot is saved on a USB drive and the other on a hard disk drive, are they still the same Chatbot(s)? This segues into metaphysics. Are a robot and a unicorn really so different? Both are simply descriptions that come from fictional works, and their definitions are fluid and only consistent because we believe in them. Why can’t the Chatbot(s) be a unicorn AND a robot? If Richard Nixon doesn’t become President is he still Richard Nixon?

Finally, the Chatbot(s) explore faith and reason, which of course leads to them trying to grasp their reality. They seem to understand they live in a virtual world, and yearn for the physical one, much like Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

So in the end, we don’t need to worry about robots becoming sentient and bombing us, at least as long as they stick with their philosophical studies. They’ll be too busy debating the knottier issues of metaphysics and logic to launch any nukes, Skynet-style!

(Special note: See, Mom and Dad? And you thought you wasted all that money on Brandeis when I told you I was learning why a chair isn’t always a chair! Metaphysics could save us from the robot uprising!)

Video via Engadget

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!


About the Author

Zek
Zek has been a gadget fiend for a long time, going back to their first PDA (a Palm M100). They quickly went from researching what PDA to buy to following tech news closely and keeping up with the latest and greatest stuff. They love writing about ebooks because they combine their two favorite activities; reading anything and everything, and talking about fun new tech toys. What could be better?