Now that the hit sci-fi series "Humans" is due to begin a third series on Britain's Channel Four, this Thursday( May 18), it is worth speculating as to the issues that artificial life forms raise both in comic books or on TV( ie Marvel's Vision and before it the original Human Torch, , Data in "Star Trek: The Next Generation or the EMH(Emergency Medical Hologram) in "Star Trek:Voyager"). Can they testify in open court( as the Vision did in an 1971 Avengers storyline, despite protests that as an artificial life form, all he could do was parrot what others had programmed into him- any coincidence between "synths" and "synthezoid" is of course purely coincidental as they say!)? Are they property of their owners( as were the faithful "darkies" toiling under a hot Southern sun, shades of the 1857 Supreme Court ruling "Dred Scott"!) or( this is especially topical in the era of so-called "sex robots" created for human pleasure) are they being held against their will(what the Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, adopted in December 1865, calls "involuntary servitude" ie a condition best known as "slavery"? What happens if and when said "sex robots" become sentient- capable of independent thought- this may NOT happen in my own lifetime or those of my children- if I have any, but I am convinced that it WILL happen!) Will we see a new "Underground Railroad" for "synths" as we did in America prior to the 1861-65 Civil War. All I can say is watch "Humans" on Channel Four- ALL will be explained hopefully!
Terry