If the technological singularity comes, should the Church withdraw from making moral pronouncements on technology?

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Bohm_Bawerk

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The technological singularity is a point in the future which some people believe innovations and technological revolutions will happen virtually overnight: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity

I’m not really too sure if it will come, but it had me thinking that in the event that the singularity came, the awkward position it would put the Church in making moral pronouncements on a rapidly changing industry.
 
Perhaps you would benefit from reading How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization (2005), by Thomas E. Woods, who holds four Ivy League degrees, including an A.B. from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Columbia.

It’s imperative that moral pronouncements be made by the Church when necessary.
 
If there were such a “singularity”, the next mega-solar flare would still have everybody staring at their dead video screens and wondering what to do now.

Whereas, as long as there are human beings breathing and moving, the Church will be there to offer moral guidance.

ICXC NIKA.
 
Why would this put the Church in an “awkward” position? Change is just that, change, and it takes time to figure out whether or not something is good or not. Nothing awkward about that process at all.

Technology by itself is neither moral or immoral. It is the USE of technology that would involve morality.
 
The Church is Ideal: it only Speaks Morality on any issue, not science or technology specifics. Our recent Legion of Mary Patriscians meeting for the Parish had the topic: Are Electronic Confessions valid? The consensus and Vatican posting said no, for several reasons. The Big Media hype about iphone confessions approved was False media hype again. Search the topic, maybe Catholic Electronic Confessions. Ditto Electronic Marriages, electronic Mass, electronic funerals! :whistle::ouch:
 
GEddie said:
If there were such a “singularity”, the next mega-solar flare would still have everybody staring at their dead video screens and wondering what to do now
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Unless, of course, the advance involved something as arcane as a new technology that didn’t even rely on electricity for its power source—something invulnerable to things like EMP or mega-solar flares.
 
Bohm, you obviously like Catholic Intellectualism, discussions. We’ve had the greatest thinkers since the Greek Greats. Why not try more about us in RCIA in Every Parish beginning now, to find ouit more what we are about. It’s been The Draw for Thinkers, esp Intellectuals. Thanks for your great question again. :blessyou: (non-religously of course) 😃 Not going to clue you we have the best jokers too, Like My Pastor, Priests. One Online Professor priest Sometimes has powerful two-word homily “Be Good”, etc., many classics of intellectuials, Religously, educationally too. :clapping: As you can see from this massive multimillion posts wordwide, Bohm, We love Intellectual Challenges, and Best Answers, The Best being in Humor. Know Pope Benedict XVI commented that Humor is one of The Best Teaching Methods, (and best Remembered, imo) 😉

You’ve got a few of the best questions, too. 👍
 
Anyone know the Most important Scientific Discovery in History??? ** The Big Bang** Origin of The Universe, Everything, even the laws of Calculus, Intelligence: Dr/Fr Georges Lemaitre, Belgian Priest Theory he proposed in 1920’s, Proven definitivelly 1980’s on. Albert Einstein respected him highly. Fr. Lemaitre was Full Scientist, Acknowledged, and profound Priest. :newidea::highprayer:
 
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While moral theology takes time I don’t believe this technological singularity is going to be a death blow to the Church; especially since they have already experienced a whole slew of technological advances in the past 2000 years and are still standing. When it’s all said and done it will always come down to two basic factors for the Church: a.) does this technology glorify God and b.) does the techology retain the diginity man has by being made in the image of God.

If I was a betting man I would say as time progresses along with technology, humans are going to apply it more towards things that are contrary to the Church’s teachings which will make moral pronouncements easy for the Church since such things would be considered intrinsically evil.
 
I think the real difficulty for the Church would be over what the moral standing of apparently conscious AI would be. Would conscious AI have the same moral duties that humans have? Would we have the same duties toward them that we have for fellow humans? Would they have the same path to salvation?
 
No, the Church should not refrain. At the very least, we can set up some moral guidelines on technology. Even if we can’t predict which technologies would arise and when, we can still offer general moral guidance.
anEvilAtheist said:
I think the real difficulty for the Church would be over what the moral standing of apparently conscious AI would be. Would conscious AI have the same moral duties that humans have? Would we have the same duties toward them that we have for fellow humans? Would they have the same path to salvation?
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This is a question that has always interested me. Though the Aristotelian-Thomist philosophers I’ve read tend to be very skeptical of conscious AI, the understanding I get is that what makes a human being…well, human, is the possession of a rational soul. A rational soul is one that possess intellect. I’ve heard at least one Aristotelian-Thomist philosopher suggest that if apes possess an intellect, they, too, have rational souls and would be “human.” So, I think, should a conscious AI be shown to possess intellect, it would mean they have an immaterial, rational soul and are therefore “human.” Since original sin is passed on through biological generation (I think), I don’t think they’d possess it. I’d imagine they could still use their freewill to sin, though.
 
Hypnotoad, (1) Hasn’t Morality always been the same? The same for Cavemen, as for Us? (2) Christ, The Church’s teaching of Basic Morality And Dogma have never changed. (3) Only Technology has changed, now Logarithmically ‘advancing’ (or is it :rolleyes:😉 (4) Technology can not Change Morality, only Expand it, as Mother Angelica Pioneered, The Holy Father followed. :tiphat:
 
anEvilAtheist said:
I think the real difficulty for the Church would be over what the moral standing of apparently conscious AI would be. Would conscious AI have the same moral duties that humans have? Would we have the same duties toward them that we have for fellow humans? Would they have the same path to salvation?
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EA< (1) The Church does Not Judge anybody, as we are not supposed to. Only God is The Judge of each of us. (“Judge Ye Not, lest Ye be Judged in The Same Eye” (The same negative ways) (2) Each Human has the same Moral Responsibilities to Every One Else. Know there are Laws to enforce everything? It Is a Violation of Local Law to Spit on the Sidewalk, Arrestable according to a Deputy I questioned, (with a wink). (3) ONLY God decides Who is saved, only when we Pass; God Wrote Non-discrimination; only “He” Knows everything. (4) The Church is The Ideal way for Enrichment Emotionally, Culturally, and is best Solution to all/every Problem in Existance. (5) **** RCIA Beginning Now, in Every Parish, no Obligation, even to learn. But the Discoveries are rather mind opening, thought provoking. ****
 
AntalKalnoky said:
EA< (1) The Church does Not Judge anybody, as we are not supposed to. Only God is The Judge of each of us. (“Judge Ye Not, lest Ye be Judged in The Same Eye” (The same negative ways) (2) Each Human has the same Moral Responsibilities to Every One Else. Know there are Laws to enforce everything? It Is a Violation of Local Law to Spit on the Sidewalk, Arrestable according to a Deputy I questioned, (with a wink). (3) ONLY God decides Who is saved, only when we Pass; God Wrote Non-discrimination; only “He” Knows everything. (4) The Church is The Ideal way for Enrichment Emotionally, Culturally, and is best Solution to all/every Problem in Existance. (5) **** RCIA Beginning Now, in Every Parish, no Obligation, even to learn. But the Discoveries are rather mind opening, thought provoking. ****
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So do you think that if artificial intelligence appeared to be conscious, the Church should treat such entities the same way it treats humans? Would robots be allowed to enter RCIA, take communion, and marry in the Catholic Church?
 
anEvilAtheist said:
So do you think that if artificial intelligence appeared to be conscious, the Church should treat such entities the same way it treats humans? Would robots be allowed to enter RCIA, take communion, and marry in the Catholic Church?
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My background is in Computer Science so this is a topic of interest to me. I think there are several technologies which would be interesting to see how the Church tackles if they ever come to fruition. Full, real and cognitive AI is one of them. I just ordered a back on Computer Science and theology for other reasons, but this is one topic I’m curious about. I should get the book soon, let me know if you are interested in further discussions on this topic and we can create a thread for it.

amazon.com/Our-Image-Theology-Sciences/dp/0800634764/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316452636&sr=8-1
 
SanAgustin said:
My background is in Computer Science so this is a topic of interest to me. I think there are several technologies which would be interesting to see how the Church tackles if they ever come to fruition. Full, real and cognitive AI is one of them. I just ordered a back on Computer Science and theology for other reasons, but this is one topic I’m curious about. I should get the book soon, let me know if you are interested in further discussions on this topic and we can create a thread for it.

amazon.com/Our-Image-Theology-Sciences/dp/0800634764/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316452636&sr=8-1
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That seems like an interesting book. I’d love to hear what you think of it. If you ever start a thread on the topic, send me a PM and I’ll join the discussion.
 
anEvilAtheist said:
I think the real difficulty for the Church would be over what the moral standing of apparently conscious AI would be. Would conscious AI have the same moral duties that humans have? Would we have the same duties toward them that we have for fellow humans? Would they have the same path to salvation?
Click to expand...
It cannot be assumed that every sentient being, let an anthropomorphically-constructed machine capable of outward imitation of human reactions, has an immortal soul or is in need of salvation. But in partial answers to your question, consider this musing on the theological implications of meeting up with extraterrestial life:
catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802629.htm

The Church is not going to withdraw from making moral pronouncements on technology just because technological change is coming fast. It is not as if the moral principles are changing.

What is of concern to me is that the agents of technological change have been quite willing to make their changes and then worry about the ramifications later. Even as fast as change is taking place, it is quite possible that the consequences of prior changes will catch up with us well before the problem presented here becomes an issue.

But what if these machines come to exist? What about what the machines *ought *to be doing? Well, I think for as long as we can program them, we will. The programmer will be the moral actor, in that case. When we are no longer programming, when the machines run and produce other machines without our (name removed by moderator)ut, then I would be surprised if these new independent thinkers will trouble themselves to consult with us. They might, but that is not the way to bet.
 
EasterJoy said:
It cannot be assumed that every sentient being, let an anthropomorphically-constructed machine capable of outward imitation of human reactions, has an immortal soul or is in need of salvation. But in partial answers to your question, consider this musing on the theological implications of meeting up with extraterrestial life:
catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802629.htm

The Church is not going to withdraw from making moral pronouncements on technology just because technological change is coming fast. It is not as if the moral principles are changing.

What is of concern to me is that the agents of technological change have been quite willing to make their changes and then worry about the ramifications later
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That’s the way it should be IMO. If we worried about every (mostly unforeseeable) change before developing technologically, there would be no such development.
. Even as fast as change is taking place, it is quite possible that the consequences of prior changes will catch up with us well before the problem presented here becomes an issue.
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So? Those problems will be dealt with as they arise; as they always have been.

ICXC NIKA
 
anEvilAtheist said:
So do you think that if artificial intelligence appeared to be conscious, the Church should treat such entities the same way it treats humans? Would robots be allowed to enter RCIA, take communion, and marry in the Catholic Church?
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There is no reason to. The sacraments are signs of the faith in bodily life. There is no need for them among beings that have no human body.

Communion is mesningless anyway among beings that do not eat, as is marriage where there is no gender or sexuality.

ICXC NIKA
 
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