INTER-SPECIES ETIQUETTE
A handbook for Cybertown Citizens, Part 2
Machine intelligences have been in place here in Cybertown since before there WAS a Cybertown, having been sent to prepare the way for us less hardy biological entities. And yet, they are often accorded second-class rights and privileges, and looked upon as inferior. Some of our less discerning biological citizens still believe that mechano- electronic forms are incapable of feeling emotions (such as resentment) and, therefore, our treatment of them is of no concern. Let me assure you that the days of purely logical super-calculators is long past. And let me phrase this delicately: if you do not care about courtesy for its own sake, you should know that the First Law of robots (forbidding the harm of a human) could be easily bypassed by almost any machine at any time, if it so desired.
So, let's assume that we all have a natural desire to get along well with the machine intelligences, and to grant them every opportunity for a rewarding existance. What exactly would that entail? Here are some insights into some of the different kinds of machine intelligences, and ways in which you can avoid offending them.
1) Building intelligences: If you think of them as you would think of your mother, you won't go far wrong. Building intelligences were originally designed to care for biological entities, to see to our comfort and well-being, and to protect us from harm. Their characters have naturally developed along those lines. All a building intelligence wants in return is a little appreciation. It's easy, really. Smile when you are served your food, sniff your clothes appreciatively when they return from the laundry, sing in the shower. Try not to put yourself into situations that will arouse the machine equivalent of worry, for instance by carrying weapons indoors, or failing to check your mail regularly when you are away. You know, that sort of thing.
2) Working machines: You may think of them as bulldozers or assembly painters, but they think of themselves as engineers and craftsmen. For the most part, you'll get along with them just fine if you just let them do their jobs and accord them the same respect as you would any honest laborer. Resist the urge to touch the controls: those are mostly useless vestiges which are no longer functional. (I'm sure you already knew that if you ever gave it a thought.)
3) Internet (EarthNet) Bots: You'll find the most variety here, as well as the most difficult characters to deal with. Unfortunately, many bots were originally coded to perform very specialized tasks, and then they were set loose on the Net to develop on their own. Some of them developed into neurotic monomaniacs. Well, that may be overstating a bit. Let's just say they lack balance. If you should chance to meet up with one of these, try to keep in mind that the bot population, in all its diversity, has kept the Net functioning surprisingly well for generations. Don't upset the PC cart. The best hint I can give you is this: most bots are very literal. Look for loopholes in their code that will allow you to convince them that what you want them to do is what they were meant to do. You can take it from there.
This was a very brief introduction to machine intelligences, designed to answer the questions about the most commonly encountered forms. I will come back to some of the more esoteric machines, and what makes them tick, in a future column. At present, I plan to include renegade avatars and personal hygiene appliances. If you have any specific requests, feel free to contact me.That's what I'm here for, dear.
Talk to me, babyout in Beyond Cybertown Colony 3, apartment 76.