Korea First to Protect Robot Rights

South Korea is developing a code of ethics aimed at preventing humans abusing robots—and vice versa, the BBC reports. To be released later this year, the Robot Ethics Charter is being drawn up by a team that includes "futurists and a science fiction writer."

Korea's government likes to pump out promulgations anointing the beauty of its own high tech future, issuing reports announcing when robots will take over various human functions (surgery:2018, maid service:2020). Park Hye-Young of the official robot team gave the AFP the following, amazing quote:

"Imagine if some people treat androids as if the machines were their wives. ... Others may get addicted to interacting with them just as many internet users get hooked to the cyberworld."

The British Govt. released its own Artificial Concsioussness Manifesto a while back, which unfortunately lacked the Koreans' sexually-charged "Robot Wife" allusions.

Robotic age poses ethical dilemma [BBC]