How do you feel about "uplifting" animals?

[Gopi Passiflora]

A concept taken from Science Fiction, "uplifting" is basically raising animals' intelligence to the level of sapience through artificial means (technology.)

I wouldn't be in favor of it for the animals' sake. Uplifted animals might feel discriminated by humans who may consider them "unnatural". I would try to treat them with respect and dignity, but I can't say the same for everyone else.

(Second Life-related: Uplifted animals remind me of users with animal avatars in Second Life!)

[Luna Bliss]

2 hours ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

A concept taken from Science Fiction, "uplifting" is basically raising animals' intelligence to the level of sapience through artificial means (technology.)

I wouldn't be in favor of it for the animals' sake. Uplifted animals might feel discriminated by humans who may consider them "unnatural". I would try to treat them with respect and dignity, but I can't say the same for everyone else.

(Second Life-related: Uplifted animals remind me of users with animal avatars in Second Life!)

Yeah I feel pretty wary regarding meddling in some things too much. All kinds of unintended consequences can result.

[Madelaine McMasters]

Imagine raising dog intelligence to the point they recognize the shortcoming of having no opposable thumbs, and humans leashing them.
Imagine raising ant intelligence  to the point they understand we're always trying to kill them, and they'll never experience the joy of shifting a manual transmission.

The first things we'll give human intelligence are possibly the first things that will obtain superhuman intelligence... on their own.

Machines.

Edited May 10, 2021 by Madelaine McMasters

[Ayeleeon]

Is this even possible? I really doubt it. you might be able to create some sort of animal machine hybrid with a higher intelectual ability than the animal, but can you make the animal aware and understanding of this ability? I doubt that.

[Chroma Starlight]

4 hours ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

A concept taken from Science Fiction, "uplifting" is basically raising animals' intelligence to the level of sapience through artificial means (technology.)

I wouldn't be in favor of it for the animals' sake. Uplifted animals might feel discriminated by humans who may consider them "unnatural". I would try to treat them with respect and dignity, but I can't say the same for everyone else.

(Second Life-related: Uplifted animals remind me of users with animal avatars in Second Life!)

Well, as a longtime fan of David Brin, I'd have to say it's worth exploring, especially when you might just be able to ask an AI to listen to dolphins until it gets the idea of what they're saying well enough to reply and be understood well enough to educate. Then there's always old-fashioned bioengineering, but it's not clear the dolphins need that more than some of us. Which maybe is the prime concern; who is doing the uplifting, according to what ethical standards, and enforced by whom? 

2 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

Yeah I feel pretty wary regarding meddling in some things too much. All kinds of unintended consequences can result.

I agree that it's completely foreseeable that humanity probably shouldn't interfere with the natural evolution of species and ecosystems on Earth until they reach an advanced collective level of development and understand the rules well enough to break them co-creatively. Now they have quite possibly triggered the sixth mass extinction and this after two intense centuries of not just industrialized beat-downs of the natural systems that sustain and nourish us, but also turning vast swaths of the aquifers and atmosphere into literal industrial waste dumps. I mean, It rains glyphosate here, and the bats and bees die en masse for most of the last two decades. They've managed to destroy the balance of the oceans themselves through acidfication and the salinity changes brought about by glacier meltoffs may change the currents and the climate radically, shocking the ecosystems that as yet endure, and that's impressive for just one relatively insignificant faction of an insignificant species in the grand natural ecological scheme of things. And that faction is strangely indifferent or oblivious to the fact that the stress they endlessly create is existentially toxic to all the world upon which they also depend for survival, which does seem to be an indication they need to be kindly disempowered.

In that sense, maybe we owe it to the remaining higher life forms to give them the best shot possible. 

Edited May 10, 2021 by Chroma Starlight

[Chroma Starlight]

15 minutes ago, Madelaine McMasters said:

Imagine raising dog intelligence to the point they recognize the shortcoming of having no opposable thumbs, and humans leashing them.
Imagine raising ant intelligence  to the point they understand we're always trying to kill them, and they'll never experience the joy of shifting a manual transmission.

The first things we'll give human intelligence are possibly the first things that will obtain superhuman intelligence... on their own.

Machines.

 

[animats]

Read "The Ballad of Lost C'mell", by Cordwainer Smith.

[Arielle Popstar]

Oh like this guy:

Might have already been done!

Edited May 10, 2021 by Arielle Popstar

[Chroma Starlight]

1 hour ago, Arielle Popstar said:

Might have already been done!

Well, it's certainly possible.

 

[Anna Nova]

I'm in favor of uplifting humans first.   I'd start with politicians.  Then I'd do men.

[Krystina Ferraris]

We don't need to uplift animals, as it has been demonstrated over and over again animals should uplift us humans.

[panterapolnocy]

Uplifting (as in: infusing with a human-like level of intelligence) animals is not a new idea in culture (similar case with machines - "ST TNG: Measure of a Man") and personally I'm in favor of it... under a condition of making them equal with humans in terms of available laws - nothing less, nothing more. What most probably won't happen, at least now, as humanity is divided enough within itself and adding yet another layer of complexity on top of that may cause a disaster. Nonetheless, if such a thing would happen - it would both allow humanity to have a different look on itself and non-human species to have a chance against all the abuse... and maybe another one to build a future together with humans.

Edited May 10, 2021 by panterapolnocy

[Theresa Tennyson]

10 hours ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

A concept taken from Science Fiction, "uplifting" is basically raising animals' intelligence to the level of sapience through artificial means (technology.)

I wouldn't be in favor of it for the animals' sake. Uplifted animals might feel discriminated by humans who may consider them "unnatural". I would try to treat them with respect and dignity, but I can't say the same for everyone else.

(Second Life-related: Uplifted animals remind me of users with animal avatars in Second Life!)

https://myheroacademia.fandom.com/wiki/Nezu

Note especially:

As a result of abuse and mistreatment by humans in the past, Nezu's true character reveals itself whenever he is in combat. He enjoys "toying" with humans. He still holds a grudge over the many experiments he went through, coming off as slightly insane and unpredictable as a result.

Edited May 10, 2021 by Theresa Tennyson

[Orwar]

9 hours ago, Madelaine McMasters said:

Imagine raising ant intelligence  to the point they understand we're always trying to kill them, and they'll never experience the joy of shifting a manual transmission.

   We're working on it ..

[Ceka Cianci]

Has anyone ever seen the planet of the apes before?

No thank you! \o/

hehehe

Edited May 10, 2021 by Ceka Cianci

[Orwar]

3 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

No thank you! \o/

   Why, what could possibly go wrong?!

[Luna Bliss]

11 hours ago, Chroma Starlight said:

11 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

Yeah I feel pretty wary regarding meddling in some things too much. All kinds of unintended consequences can result.

I agree that it's completely foreseeable that humanity probably shouldn't interfere with the natural evolution of species and ecosystems on Earth until they reach an advanced collective level of development and understand the rules well enough to break them co-creatively. Now they have quite possibly triggered the sixth mass extinction and this after two intense centuries of not just industrialized beat-downs of the natural systems that sustain and nourish us, but also turning vast swaths of the aquifers and atmosphere into literal industrial waste dumps. I mean, It rains glyphosate here, and the bats and bees die en masse for most of the last two decades. They've managed to destroy the balance of the oceans themselves through acidfication and the salinity changes brought about by glacier meltoffs may change the currents and the climate radically, shocking the ecosystems that as yet endure, and that's impressive for just one relatively insignificant faction of an insignificant species in the grand natural ecological scheme of things. And that faction is strangely indifferent or oblivious to the fact that the stress they endlessly create is existentially toxic to all the world upon which they also depend for survival, which does seem to be an indication they need to be kindly disempowered.

In that sense, maybe we owe it to the remaining higher life forms to give them the best shot possible.

Perhaps we should discover how to transplant some of their intelligence into us...

[Ceka Cianci]

6 minutes ago, Orwar said:

   Why, what could possibly go wrong?!

That and this.. hehehe

 

[Sorciaa]

 

[TT120]

Think about a Canada Goose with the intelligence to outsmart you.  No thanks.

[Janet Voxel]

Only if you can crossbreed them with inanimate objects: Crossbreed a talking dog and a clock and call it a watchdog.

[Chroma Starlight]

 

[ChinRey]

On 5/10/2021 at 3:12 AM, Madelaine McMasters said:

Imagine raising ant intelligence  to the point they understand we're always trying to kill them, and they'll never experience the joy of shifting a manual transmission

An individual ant can't but the collective mind of an ant colony sure can, no need for uplifting there. It's just that it has a bit of a problem focusing. Parts of its mind keep wandering off.

[Arielle Popstar]

3 minutes ago, ChinRey said:

An individual ant can't but the collective mind of an ant colony sure can, no need for uplifting there. It's just that it has a bit of a problem focusing. Parts of its mind keep wandering off.

That's like a lot of humans too where the left brain is lost and the right one is out looking for it.