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Robotics developers, academics, ethicists and lawmakers are deeply divided over the legal status of artificially intelligent androids able to speak, learn and move with a degree of autonomy.At present, the creation of fully autonomous robots designed to replicate human appearance and thinking is not possible given the technology available.Yet, the idea of giving AI cybrogs “personhood” has gained traction in recent years as technological advances have caused legal uncertainty.The proposal to classify robots as “electronic persons” was first proposed in a draft report published by the EU parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs in May 2016.A debate about what rights robots should be given, if any at all, has ensued since the publication of the report, which dealt with issues surrounding the liability of self-learning machines.

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If the EU’s recommendations were to become law, self-learning robots would be granted status as “legal persons”, meaning they could be held liable for damages in court.Legal experts opposed to the controversial proposals have claimed their implementation as a regulatory framework would effectively “grant human rights to robots”.Last year, a sophisticated humanoid android called Sophia became the first robot in the world to be given citizenship by Saudi Arabia.The stunt provoked concern the growing trend to humanise "smart" autonomous androids could have grave societal consequences.

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Dr Oliver Bendel, professor of information systems at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts, believes there is no need to give “electronic persons” moral rights or personal status.The machine ethics researcher believes sex robots able to read “every wish from our eyes” will be among the most advanced androids within the next 20 years.But despite recent technological advancements, Dr Bendel said there is no philosophical or ethical grounds to give robots “moral rights”, calling Sophia a “marketing trick”."You only have such rights if you can feel or suffer, if you have a consciousness or a will to live,” he told Daily Star Online.“Accordingly, animals can have certain rights, stones cannot.”

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However, he said if robots with “consciousness” are one day able to “feel or suffer” in the same way humans do, they should be granted rights.Such a scenario might occur in the future if half-human, half-android hybrids are created, said Bendel, who has advised the German Bundestag.He added: “If one day robots can feel or suffer, if they have a consciousness or a will to live, they must be granted rights.“But I don't see any way to get there at the moment. One could at best develop ‘reverse cyborgs’, i.e. let brain and nerve cells grow on technical structures or in a robot.“Such reverse or inverted cyborgs might at some point feel something.”

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Computing philosopher and scientist Dr Jordi Vallverdú said it is not possible and “not so important” to give robots human robots at the moment.The computing professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona said technology companies and manufacturers are only backing the “electronic personhood” proposals to avoid liability for the actions of their machines. In the future, however, it is reasonable to assume robots will be granted rights of some form, Dr Vallverdú said.He said: “Under the current cultural western evolution, which has recognised rights to all kinds of men and women, it is feasible and normal to affirm that the robots rights will be someday into the agenda.”