In response to Serena's refusal to work with lethal robots, Sarah asked Olympia and Galileo to meet her in the work lounge to discuss this challenging situation. They'd need plenty of snacks and drinks to work through all the complex factors involved, as well as develop potential solutions.
Sarah described the visit to the military robotics lab, then summarized her own view: “You know, it seems to me that Serena was quite justified – we're asking her to do things that would be contrary to Asimov's Three Laws of Robots, which she feels bound to follow since we incorporated those rules into her programming. For her, it presents an ethical dilemma … very similar to what we humans experience. Actually, I'm quite proud of her … it shows she has integrity!”
Olympia chimed in: “Indeed she does! Not only that, but she's outspoken enough to articulate bluntly what many of us humans probably feel but hesitate to say outright. We could just drop further JE support of any military operations – but I do realize that at least some of the rival factions may have legitimate needs to defend themselves. On the other hand, continuing to repair/maintain military robots here might tempt desperate factions to attack Jonson Station and seize those assets.”
Sarah offered more context: “Well, we should keep in mind that the new android facilities incorporate much more advanced AI technology – the new androids/gynoids seem genuinely autonomous, displaying not only sentience but also self-determining approaches. In contrast, the older military robotics lab used a less sophisticated, semi-autonomous approach, in which the robots often seemed mostly to be just extensions of their human operators. Given that distinction, we should be able to consider them separately, perhaps continuing both but as completely distinct operations.”
Galileo provided his insights: “During my last run to Jonson Outpost, the Explorer was intercepted three times by rival factions, and one of them even shadowed us the rest of the trip, finally veering away as we neared the outpost. They know that we keep the outpost well guarded, since we often store valuable mined products there prior to shipment. So far, they haven't actually attacked the Explorer, but even so, we may need to arm our ship more heavily.”
Sarah seemed puzzled: “Oh, I've heard of Jonson Outpost, but know little about it. How does it fit into JE operations?” Since Olympia often coordinated outpost scheduling, she explained: “Well, it's an older station, originally developed by a now-defunct mining company, but currently owned by JE and used mostly as a staging area for mining operations in that area of the asteroid belt. The outpost somewhat resembles Jonson Station, as it has a similar rotating ring configuration – important for extended human habitation which generally requires artificial gravity. It does have the basic amenities, but only part of it is actively used now. Actually I never liked staying there, because the whole place seems dingy and the furnishings very spartan.”
Then Sarah brightened: “Could the military robot operations be moved to the outpost?” Both Olympia and Galileo seemed surprised briefly, then responded almost in unison: “Why not?”