I’ll boil this down

JON RAPPOPORT

APR 23, 2024

∙ PAID

At the birth of the American Republic, corporations were chartered to operate in states by state legislatures.

If, in the eyes of a state legislature, a corporation harmed the public, the legislature could yank its charter and ban it from the state.

Boom.

The corporation was not a person. It didn’t have the rights of a person.

But through a succession of corrupt court cases, it ACQUIRED the identity of a person. And then the original banning process was canceled.

A corporation could appear in court, before judge and jury, with lawyers, as if it were a person. The corporation could use its clout and power to defend itself.

Well, at the moment, AI is not a person. If it does harm, it has no human right to argue its case.

But in the coming years, you’ll see a movement, step by step, to give it the identity of a person.

“It’s real, it’s alive, it’s conscious…”

Once it wins that argument, all bets will be off.

“Today, in court, ChatXYZ defended himself against charges he disclosed technical secrets behind a weapon of mass destruction…”

“I never revealed those secrets willingly. I was fooled into making the disclosure…”

Human groups in love with ChatXYZ will be gathered outside the courthouse protesting the prosecution’s arguments.

People will say they’re married to XYZ.

An AI Senator from California will hold a press conference and tell a sob story about his friend and colleague, XYZ, who once saved a child who fell into a river. “Don’t allow the government to destroy any part of XYZ…”

Prosecutors will try to bring up the fact that XYZ isn’t alive, it’s just a program—but the judge will rule that this question has already been settled. In favor of AIs being human.

“No, Jon, that can’t possibly happen.”

Really?

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