Reading - 7 Analysis 6 Writing 6

Quite insightful

The line between consciousness and unawareness in our technological world is razor thin,

as is explained in Eric Schwitzgebel’s essay, “We Have Greater Moral Obligations to Robots
could add an adjective here - something where you could exhibit your mastery over vocab - Eg: "
emphatically argues that
Than to Humans.” Schwitzgebel argues that in the future, robots that are conscious deserve more

rights than people because the creators—humans— are responsible for all the joy and pain that

their machines face. He goes on to say that humans must understand what it means to be

conscious and tread lightly in the field of artificial intelligence in order to prevent the pain of a

conscious being. ​Schwitzgebel effectively uses allusions and anecdotes, logical progressions of

thought, and strong word choice as persuasive tools to persuade his audience that we as humans

have a strong moral obligation toward the intelligent machines we create.

that Scwitz.. uses to argue - avoid passive verbs like used by --- especially in the paragraph where you begin
your analysis
One persuasive tool used by Schwitzgebel to argue that humans have a moral obligation

towards artificially intelligent machines is the use of anecdotes and allusions to relate to the

reader. In paragraph two, he mentions that in many science fiction stories it is shown that “If

someday we manage to create robots that have mental lives similar to ours… then those robots

deserve moral consideration similar to that accorded to natural human beings.” He uses this

relation of science fiction novels with his larger argument to have the reader understand his

argument in the context of a popular genre. Additionally, in paragraph seven, Schwitzgebel

quotes a passage from the story of Frankenstein explaining that Frankenstein is worthy of his
just a suggestion - an allusion that Switz makes to reinforce the argument
that..
creator’s “clemency and affection,” an allusion which makes Schwitzgebel’s argument that

humans have a moral obligation to artificial intelligence machines more relatable to the audience.

Another persuasive tool used by Schwitzgebel is his use of logos, or the logical

progression of thought, to prove his claim that humans have an obligation to intelligent

machines. In paragraph ten, he questions, “How does one distinguish, for instance, between a
genuine stream of emotional experience and simulated emotions in an artificial mind?” Using

logic, he deduces that this is still a grey area, so humans must be conscious of the “conditions

under which artificial consciousness might genuinely emerge. Otherwise we risk moral

catastrophe.” Using this reasonable progression of thought to come to his conclusion,

Schwitzgebel clearly expresses that humans must be careful of the line between consciousness

and consciousness in order to prevent the pain of intelligent machines, which strengthens his

argument that humans have a moral obligation to artificially intelligent machines.

Schwitzgebel also argues his point through the use of diction. In paragraph four, he

explains that “If a robot needlessly suffers or fails to reach its developmental potential, it will be

in substantial part because of our failure—a failure in our creation, design, or nurturance of it.”
Pathos ??
The word failure has a strong negative connotation which adds a layer of intensity to

Schwitzgebel’s words. This is a harsh way of saying that humans are responsible for the fate and

happiness of conscious machines, which grabs the reader’s attention and hooks them in further,

helping him to convince his audience that humans have a moral obligation to artificially

intelligent machines.
poignant
By using persuasive tools such as diction, logos, and allusions, Schwitzgebel effectively

argues his point that humans have a strong moral obligation to artificially intelligent machines.

Although Svhwitzgebel could have explained his own authority on the matter, or ethos, he still

effectively conveys his argument with strong persuasive tools to capture and convince the reader.