Is Robobrain creation ethical?

[Sea Prince Gillywix]

Robobrains are interesting to say the least. A machine controlled by a memory wiped human brain. But are they ethical? At least within the context of the Fallout universe? Lets considering the following scenarios:

Scenario 1. Creation from Death Row inmates.

A robobrain is created using the brains of criminals on death row. Practically speaking this doesn't seem very efficient. But I suppose it might be a better use of taxpayer money to at least get something out of death row criminals. In real life, many countries donate the bodies of death row inmates to medical research.

Scenario 2 Synth Brains.

Instead of using brains of existing people, brains are created in laboratories that can serve a similar function. Similar to synths by the Institute.

Scenario 3 The use of modified primate brains.

Roboco attempted this, but found these brains don't work as effectively as human brains. However maybe plenty of research could find a way to make these work. The main issue I see here is that this could also be considered animal cruelty? But humans are known to experiment on rats.

[Löthar Storm]

Robobrain's are essentially mad science run amok from a boiled frog fascistic government. what's the problem?

[Twelvefield]

You're discussing the ethics of the creation of a robobrain. I'd consider the ethics of using one. Considering the steps AI is taking now, and considering the scenery of the Fallout universe (HINT: it's all fallout), you have to wonder if augmented human thought is worth the danger.

However, as to the uses of death row inmates in medical research, watch The Fifth Element (1997). When Leeloo is scanned at the New York Institute, the imagery is of the most advanced full body scan available at the time of filming in the 1990's. You guessed it: a death row inmate. Specifically, one Mr. Joseph Paul Jernigan, a murderer convicted in Texas whose body was donated to the Visible Human Project, and which was used as the basis for Leeloo. You can easily see that the figure in the scanner has definite male hip bones, while the Leeloo character and actress both have fabulously female hips.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_Human_Project
https://beforesandafters.com/2022/05/08/multi-pass-and-motion-control-re-visiting-the-vfx-of-the-fifth-element/

[DouglasGrave]

Scenario 4: Build an entire robobrain head from scratch out of nothing more than adhesive, aluminium, ceramic, circuitry, and rubber.

[Sea Prince Gillywix]

Originally posted by DouglasGrave:

Scenario 4: Build an entire robobrain head from scratch out of nothing more than adhesive, aluminium, ceramic, circuitry, and rubber.

To be fair, the human body has traces of all those minerals that make up what you described.

[Löthar Storm]

Originally posted by Sea Prince Gillywix:

To be fair, the human body has traces of all those minerals that make up what you described.

eh?

[DouglasGrave]

Originally posted by Menace to Sobriety:

Originally posted by Sea Prince Gillywix:

To be fair, the human body has traces of all those minerals that make up what you described.

eh?

I assume he means that the human body has traces of the minerals that make up those junk materials, not that the human body has a given level of rubber and circuitry.

[Löthar Storm]

ok. just makin' sure that bloke wasn't completely off his pan. asteroids & such I guess.

[Krtas]

Originally posted by DouglasGrave:

Scenario 4: Build an entire robobrain head from scratch out of nothing more than adhesive, aluminium, ceramic, circuitry, and rubber.

Pretty sure you'd need screws as well…



…seeing how quite a few of the robobrains have a few loose throughout the FA universe.

[DouglasGrave]

Originally posted by Menace to Sobriety:

ok. just makin' sure that bloke wasn't completely off his pan. asteroids & such I guess.

Yeah, you want to check when it's not something simple and obvious like the Brotherhood of Steel becoming mirelurks.

[Löthar Storm]

does this sort of thing happen in nature? was unaware... quite perturbing if true.

[Anvos]

Doesn't really matter if its ethical when all models are currently failed projects where the original brain ends up corrupting the program and leading to platform instability.

Let alone the artificial cybernetically enhanced model ones requires an AI to pilot it and those don't have a good track record in Fallout of not being homicidal.

[The Cure]

Originally posted by Menace to Sobriety:

does this sort of thing happen in nature? was unaware... quite perturbing if true.

Yes, it's biological chemistry as pertains to cosmic evolution and the elements stars create and then release when they go supernova boom. Stellar nucleosynthesis creates these elements and disperses them among the galaxies, solar systems and planets and into biology.

If that is what you were asking/questioning.

[DouglasGrave]

Originally posted by Anvos:

Doesn't really matter if its ethical when all models are currently failed projects where the original brain ends up corrupting the program and leading to platform instability.

I'm not sure I'd call it corruption of the program, since from Jezebel's case it seems more like the robobrain trying to come up with the most efficient means possible of fulfilling its mission parameters. It's trying to follow the program.

The thing is, human brains can be very creative about interpreting those parameters and when it seems like you've suppressed the brain's own sense of morality and ethics (assuming a given brain had them), it has no reason not to steamroll right over moral/ethical concerns when it comes to completing the mission. If it finds an efficient shortcut to make the job quicker and easier, it takes it.

It's like they unintentionally built a cyborg whose primary mode of operation is to subvert the spirit of its orders in the name of finding the most efficient path to the end.

[Löthar Storm]

Originally posted by The Cure:

Originally posted by Menace to Sobriety:

does this sort of thing happen in nature? was unaware... quite perturbing if true.

Yes, it's biological chemistry as pertains to cosmic evolution and the elements stars create and then release when they go supernova boom. Stellar nucleosynthesis creates these elements and disperses them among the galaxies, solar systems and planets and into biology.

If that is what you were asking/questioning.

I'm aware of that bit of the equation. It's the Brotherhood of Steel becoming Mirelurks that I've not had millions of years to see with mine own eyes. Ozzy Osbourne click at the Moon.

[Zekiran]

Originally posted by Sea Prince Gillywix:

Robobrains are interesting to say the least. A machine controlled by a memory wiped human brain. But are they ethical? At least within the context of the Fallout universe? Lets considering the following scenarios:

Scenario 1. Creation from Death Row inmates.

A robobrain is created using the brains of criminals on death row. Practically speaking this doesn't seem very efficient. But I suppose it might be a better use of taxpayer money to at least get something out of death row criminals. In real life, many countries donate the bodies of death row inmates to medical research.

.

All you need to do to answer this is, y'know. Play the Mechanist dlc.

It's painfully obvious that it is not, in any way, an ethical solution.