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Future Talk: "Synthience"

  • Mr.
    • 763 posts
    February 9, 2016 3:56 PM EST

     [Warning: The presentation for this discussion may contain spoilers for Fallout 4's main plot. Plot and character spoilers are expected in the comment section, which should also come with a spoiler warning when necessary]

     Hey everyone, returning to our discussions focusing on the future and whatnot, this time we'll be talking about something that is covered in great detail in Fallout 4: synths.

     As you know, during the game, we find out that the Institute managed to craft humanoid machines able to respond to a program that allows them to perform human activities just as well as us, to the point that the later synth generation developed, as some believe, free will and self awareness.

     The implications of human mastery of genetic (or robotic) engineering and the evolution of artificial intelligence is a recurring theme in science fiction, with a wide range of cultural media covering it, from cult books like William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy and Philip Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheeps", which inspired the creation of the movie Blade Runner, to movies like the Terminator series.

                                       Yes, we already have a mod for that. Don't forget to endorse it if you like it!

     Now, let's cut to the chase:

                Is the development of such technology possible?

                                                                    You may also want to talk about...

    •  Where do you stand on the dilemma of freeing the synths or not from Institute control? Would your opinion change in a real world situation? Why?
    •  How long will it take until we have to rely on Harrison Ford to keep the streets free of the buggers and Will Smith or Arnold Schwarzenegger to save the day?

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    • 1441 posts
    February 13, 2016 4:31 AM EST

    Well, we already have human looking robots, as shown by that one Game Theory video. Basically, I believe, if said robots gain a conscious and can form their own thoughts, i believe they should be free

    • 1595 posts
    February 13, 2016 4:36 AM EST

    I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.

    I remember growing up watching stuff like "Tomorrow's World" and the predictions made. I am showing my age a bit when I say that it is remarkable that what only Sci-Fi geeks talked about back then are now legitimate concerns for the likes of Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk and the Future of Life Institute. That's amazing to me.