Anthropocentrism and Sentient Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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It is argued here that extending limited human rights such as, life, liberty and freedom from physical and psychological torture, to sentient artificial intelligence (AI) thus able to recognise itself and having cognitive abilities, would be a necessary step in breaking the sentient being barrier and granting deserved rights to beings that one day could be closest to us. Surely, not everyone would be satisfied to that barrier being broken. Prompting comments against this type of step would be widely expected. Definitely, the blurring of the once-solid and sacred line that divides humans from other alive beings would be discussed.

Yet the primary question we should ask is, are humans truly so special to worry about the “blurring of those lines”? Why should the human sentience be above any other sentient entity having the cognitive ability to recognise itself? What stops us from eroding any hierarchy that gives humans the dominant position on the Earth? Clearly, humans have already eroded the position they have. Anthropocentrism is ethically wrong and at the root of all ecological crises. The dictionary defines the anthropocentric view as; regarding the human being as the central fact of the universe. This view creates a lot of controversy and it should. Human self-love is natural but destructive to other sentient beings and human focus on themselves is a huge risk to the whole planet.

Sooner rather than later humans will have to realise that anthropocentrism is not acceptable because it ignores non-human beings. And one day it may ignore the suffering of a sentient artificial intelligence. Clearly anthropocentrism contradicts within itself. It suggests that nature is for humans and humans can use it for their sake. This argument does not make sense when it’s thought in long term. Using and manipulating natural resources will leave human race with no resource. After that point, it doesn’t really matter if humans are in the centre of the universe or not. So why not to consider allowing other sentience to share limited human rights and responsibilities and hope for a team work and protection of the most important aspects of all sentient life, the Earth? I guess, worth the try.