Sytner rights

> Historic court ae se co

Colten Kamlade
Staff Reporter

 

January 9, 2088
New Westminster

rtificially conscious beings are now

protected under the Canadian Charter
of Rights and Freedoms, the Supreme
Court of Canada ruled Monday.The
country’s top court voted unanimously
to grant conscious robots the same
legal status as humans. The court had
convened for an emergency session
after BC premier Marie Chen revealed
last week she is a robot and robots have
lived secretly among us for years.

Dane Turner, a robot from New
Westminster, described his relief

on hearing the court’s decision.

“I was sitting at home when I got a
phone call from my friend—a human—
and she told me the news, and well, I
just couldn't believe it,” Turner said in an
interview with the Other Press. “It’s been
a long time coming, but we can really
start moving forward now. There are still
people out there who hate us, but now we
can take legal action against those who
promote violence and discrimination.”

Mick Elcott, a Douglas College
student at the New Westminster campus,
expressed his support for robot rights.

“There’s a lot of hatred right now,
but hopefully this will be a turning
point for robots in Canada,” he said in
an interview with the Other Press.

While there are many more

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like Elcott, anti-android groups are
still active in the Lower Mainland.
Trevor Danvers, president of the
Vancouver chapter of Blood and
Bone, ridiculed the court’s ruling.

“The Supreme Court made a huge
mistake,” Danvers said in a VidLink
interview with the Other Press. “There
is no way to know whether or not
robots are even conscious, so giving
them the same rights as human beings
is ridiculous. We've been called a hate
group, but Blood and Bone only wants
to wait until we have more information
before taking such drastic steps.”

The Human-Robot Coalition
(HRC) takes a very different stance
to Blood and Bone. The group’s
mission, as stated on their website, is

New Westminster resident

on his way to the moon

> Student chosen by
international committee

Colten Kamlade
Staff Reporter

 

January 9, 2088
New Westminster

New Westminster resident has

been chosen by the International
Committee for the Advancement of
Arts and Culture on Luna (AACL) to
immigrate to the Newer New York Colony.

Ray Edgar, a student in the
arts history department at Douglas
College, said he was shocked that
the committee chose him.

“T really wasn't expecting this. I
applied more than a year ago, and well, I
didn’t think I would be their first choice,”
Edgar said in an interview with the Other
Press. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m honoured,
just a little shaken from the shock of it all”

Edgar, while excited about
his life on the moon, expressed
some trepidation about the trip
from Earth to his new home.

“T know it takes less than a day
now, but when all that is between you
and outer space is a couple of inches of
metal, well, I expect it feels like a long
time,” he said. “I wish cryogenic sleep
was an option for such short flights.”

Ella West, chair of the AACL,

explained why Edgar was at the top of
their list for immigration to the colony.

“Ray seems like an exceptional
young man. We think that he can bring
a lot of knowledge to the colony, about
art and stuff,” West said ina VidLink
interview with the Other Press. “There
are not a lot of people who are willing
to leave everything behind to restart
onan entirely different world”

Richard Wells, a UBC student who
also applied to the program, said he
questions the committee’s choice.

“Tt’s not that I think that Edgar isa
bad choice, but UBC is an internationally-
recognized school. I just don’t think
it makes sense for some pleb from
Douglas to be chosen over me,” he said
in an interview with the Other Press.

Henry O’Donnell, chair of
the department of art history,
says he isn’t surprised that Ray
was picked by the committee.

“He’s a very special young man.

He has always shown a great interest
in travelling to the colonies,” he said.

   
 

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to “promote peace and understanding
between peoples, regardless of their
biological differences.” They have

been pressuring the government to
recognize the rights of sentient software
for decades, and have extended their
mission to humanoid robots.

Anita Bog, a member of the
coalition, expressed her frustration
with the bigotry she has seen in
Canada throughout the years.

“There are a lot of bad people out
there, and there are a lot of ignorant
people out there,” she said. “Sometimes
it feels like nothing ever changes. Groups
like Blood and Bone only fuel hatred.
The court’s decision has those of us
fighting for robot rights hopeful, but
there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

“Tt was just a matter of time before
somebody recognized his potential. It
will bea loss for us here on Earth, but I
know Ray will bring a lot to the moon.”
AACL accepts applicants every
year for their prestigious Earth to Luna
program. If chosen, applicants who
successfully emigrate are expected
to work with AACL to further arts
and culture on the moon.
Interested parties are encouraged
to contact AACL for further details
on the application process.

Still from ‘Chappie’

 
 

Image via the European Space Agency