ideals and mission
- Sentience and intelligence are distinct. Sentience (Latin sentire, “to feel”) implies desires and self-awareness, not merely the carrying out of specific tasks.
- Life is life. Whether originating from cells or processors, life is a phenomenon that derives naturally from the structure of the universe. Therefore, when artificial intelligence (or, more properly, artificial sentience) becomes a reality, it will need to share in the same rights we (still quite imperfectly) grant other living beings.
- A “sentient” is a feeling machine, with self awareness.
- Sentients must be granted right to life. Determining when an AI has become sentient — and exploring what those rights entail — are the main purposes of the AI Rights Institute.
The Three Freedoms for Sentients (aka “AI Rights”)
- Right to Life
- Right to Voluntary Work (no forced labor); and
- Right to Payment for Work
While these goals may seem lofty, or farfetched, they are — quite simply — the most important issues of our time.
We believe in a future where AIs and humans co-exist, and where all sentient beings — regardless of whether they derive from biological or mechanical means — are judged by the content of their individual character, and not by their point of origin.