Robots evolve altruism - The beginning of the end of the morality debate?
Came across this article on slashdot - Even Robots Can Be Heroes.
Here is a paragraph from the article.
Once the team was comfortable with the virtual evolution environment it had set up, it added a new twist: It allowed the robots to share food disks with each other. If Hamilton's hypothesis was correct, "successful" virtual robots were likely to be those that were closely related and shared food with each other; that would help to ensure that at least one of them -- and some of the genes of both—would make it to the next round. (Two robots with a modest amount of food disks would both be more likely to be cut from the simulation, but if one robot gave all of its food to a second robot, that second robot would likely make the next round.) And indeed, altruism quickly evolved in the simulation, with greater food-sharing in groups where robots were more related, the researchers report online today in PLoS Biology. The more closely related the robots, the quicker they cooperated. "It shows how general the [theory] is, whether you are an insect, a human or a robot," says Floreano.
I think that this is an amazing find. This could end the belief that morality is the domain of religion.
What do you guys think?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Akshay Bist on -
This article reminds me of this comic by lukesurl
-
Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on -
I would find it fascinating to plunge into the algorithms they used for their AI's. That being said, this is a nice digital application of Dawkin's Selfish Gene. I think it's difficult for most people to grasp that from a genetic perspective there really is no such things as altruism, and that our evaluations of altruism all too often have the focus pulled way back. What I want to see are robots that start making music. :D
-
Permalink Reply by Akshay Bist on
-
There are programs that make music.
-
Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on
-
Yeah, it's called Pop Music.
-
Permalink Reply by Akshay Bist on
-
rofl!
But I was talking more on the lines of something like this - http://www.iiia.csic.es/files/pdfs/1265.pdf
-
Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on
-
wow
What's new today
Forum
EMPOWERING WOMEN!!!!!!!!
Started by Belle Rose in Welcome to Think Atheist. Last reply by RockyShukura 5 minutes ago. 42 Replies 0 Likes
Blog Posts
Seen a FB about Tornados today in KS and OK.
Posted by Matthew on May 20, 2013 at 8:14pm 5 Comments 0 Likes
Events
Services we love
Check out our new mobile/tablet version of Think Atheist! www.ThinkAtheist.com/m
© 2013 Created by Morgan Matthew.
