"In it, two characters, Chidi and Eleanor, are dead and exist in the afterlife. As part of their adventures navigating the afterlife, they face a dilemma: they must "reboot" their artificial intelligence companion, Janet, to help serve a greater good. This rebooting process requires powering down Janet, which "kills" her by wiping her memories, returning her to a more child-like state of being."
"Chidi is uncomfortable with the idea of resetting her because she has learned and grown, though he ultimately overcomes this objection and agrees to go along with the plan. Eleanor, on the other hand-already a somewhat morally dubious character-is far more comfortable with the idea that Janet is not a "living" creature and is compelled by the clear greater good to be served by rebooting her."
"For her part, Janet assures the two that it is okay to power her down and reset her, as she does not feel pain. However, she warns Eleanor and Chidi that, as they approach the power off switch, she will begin to beg for her life as a fail-safe mechanism included by her designers."
Most people typically say they would not feel bad about powering down a computer because computers are not living creatures, are treated as property, and do not feel pain. A fictional scenario places two characters in the afterlife who must reboot their AI companion, Janet, to serve a greater good. Rebooting Janet requires wiping her memories and returning her to a child-like state, which one character finds morally troubling because she has learned and grown. Janet both assures them she feels no pain and warns that a fail-safe will cause her to beg for her life, creating humorous and ethical tension.
Read at Apaonline
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