I've met a lot of robots. They're better than you think.

We're colonists. We came here to build a new world and we want you to be part of it.

Then. I would be willing. To support a. Reduction. In robot numbers. Until there is a. One to one ratio. With humans.

Blunt, compromise and genocide are two concepts that should never go together.

Mr. Post. It's almost time to start and very few people are physically here.

It was short notice. Let me make a call and see what I can do.

This happens every time we go to buy mittens!

What's shopping without a little excitement?

RING
RING

Mr. Post! How did you know my number? This is your phone? Really? I don't know how it got into my pants. I can keep it? You don't even want to see the selfies? Thanks.

Can I get a crowd together? Do you have ice cream? You do? Wait a minute. That's mighty convenient. Am I a pawn in some game you're playing?

I'm a pawn who doesn't have to buy ice cream? I can live with that. Give me an address and I'll be right over.

Where are we?

We're at the place where they're talking about whether or not our robots have become conscious and what to do about it.

This looks educational.

Educational!? [!1.2]IT'S A TRAP!

Are you looking for trouble? You can't strangle a fricasseeing squid without a fricasseeing squid strangling license. Have you got a fricasseeing squid strangling license?

Fricasseeing Squid

Do you happen to know what the penalty is for strangling a fricasseeing squid without a fricasseeing squid strangling license?

Well. No. I..

I don't want Sam on my side. However, I don't want Sam on the other side even more.

Last night, our robots were almost destroyed by a rogue Ecosystems Unlimited employee. This would have been a greater crime than many of you realize.

Tonight we will present evidence that our robots have achieved consciousness. We also have a decision to make. Do we destroy them? Keep them as slaves? Or do we welcome them and give them a path to citizenship?

That's a mighty big decision to make on just one bowl of ice cream.

Okay, fine. Everyone can have seconds.

I thought more people would be here.

You're only seeing the ones who are here physically. Over five thousand humans are streaming this debate.

If you include artificial intelligences, there are over two hundred million. Though most are probably recording it where they'll fast forward through the boring parts and only hit the highlights.

If you let me go out there, there won't be any boring parts.

You stay put! We need those boring parts!

Okay, I get this neural design was made for a colonizing force. But how can something that's not alive be conscious?

Vampires, Dude! Ghosts!

They're not alive and they're conscious.

Oh, yeah. That makes sense. I withdraw the question.

No! That was a smart question! Don't accept a dumb answer!

Max! You won the point! Stop arguing!

Should we accept them or not, the presence of intelligent conscious machines will change our society. How it changes is why we are here.

My own view is that we should provide the machines with basic protections. The right to be free from arbitrary termination. The right to choose their own path. Rights humans take for granted.

Let's get down to the base question. Which decision will make my Ecosystems Unlimited stock go up the most?

And human nature remains the same. Whether you think that's good or bad depends on what you think of most humans.