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Artificial morality basic device: transistor for mimicking morality logics

人工道德基础器件:模拟道德逻辑的晶体管

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Abstract

The extensive application of increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence in life has promoted the artificial morality (AM) issue. The establishment and implementation of artificial ethics for robots are usually solved by passive program instructions, while active realization at the hardware level remains challenging. Here, inspired by cognitive psychology and neurophysiology, a typical AM device is demonstrated. The first of the three laws of robotics is realized in this device by judging good and evil and solving moral dilemmas. The device exhibits the three states of ego, id, and superego and the six humanities of the categorical imperative, instinctive disregard, instinctive impulse, moral deontology, utilitarianism, and egoism. The origin of morality is revealed in terms of electronics, which is an adversarial collaboration between the subconscious and the conscious. This work provides a practicable path for the consciousness generation and moral formation of artificial intelligence in the future.

摘要

日益先进的人工智能在生活中的广泛应用, 促进了人工道德问题的产生. 机器人的人工伦理的建立和实施通常是通过被动程序指令解决的, 而在硬件层面的主动实现仍然具有挑战性. 在这里, 受认知心理学和神经生理学的启发, 我们展示了一种典型的人工道德器件. 通过判断善恶和解决道德困境, 器件实现了机器人三定律中的第一定律. 器件展示了自我、本我和超我三种状态, 以及绝对命令、本能漠视、本能冲动、道德义务论、功利主义和利己主义等六种人性. 道德的起源在电子学方面得到了揭示, 这是潜意识和意识之间的对抗性协作. 这项工作为未来人工智能的意识产生和道德形成提供了一条可行的道路.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U21A20497 and 62374033) and Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China (2021ZZ129).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Optoelectronic Display, National & Local United Engineering Lab of Flat Panel Display Technology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Shaomin Chen  (陈绍敏), Rengjian Yu  (俞礽坚), Yi Zou  (邹浥), Xipeng Yu  (于希鹏), Changfei Liu  (刘常飞), Tailiang Guo  (郭太良) & Huipeng Chen  (陈惠鹏)

  2. Department of Information Engineering, Zhicheng College, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Shaomin Chen  (陈绍敏)

  3. Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou, 350100, China

    Shaomin Chen  (陈绍敏), Rengjian Yu  (俞礽坚), Yi Zou  (邹浥), Xipeng Yu  (于希鹏), Changfei Liu  (刘常飞), Tailiang Guo  (郭太良) & Huipeng Chen  (陈惠鹏)

  4. College of Semiconductors (College of Integrated Circuits), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China

    Yuanyuan Hu  (胡袁源)

Authors
  1. Shaomin Chen  (陈绍敏)
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  2. Rengjian Yu  (俞礽坚)
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  3. Yi Zou  (邹浥)
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  4. Xipeng Yu  (于希鹏)
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  5. Changfei Liu  (刘常飞)
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  6. Yuanyuan Hu  (胡袁源)
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  7. Tailiang Guo  (郭太良)
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  8. Huipeng Chen  (陈惠鹏)
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Contributions

Author contributions Chen H and Chen S conceived the project; Chen S, Yu R and Zou Y designed and performed the experiments and collected the data; Chen S, Yu R, Yu X, and Liu C analyzed and discussed the data; Chen H supervised the project; Chen S and Chen H wrote the paper. All authors contributed to the general discussion.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huipeng Chen  (陈惠鹏).

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Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Supplementary information Experimental details and supporting data are available in the online version of the paper.

Shaomin Chen is currently working as an instructor at Zhicheng College, Fuzhou University. He is a PhD candidate under the supervision of Prof. Chen at the College of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University. His current research interests mainly focus on neuromorphic devices (synaptic and neuron devices).

Huipeng Chen obtained his PhD degree in physics from Tufts University in 2009. Before joining the College of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University in 2015, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Texas Tech University during 2009–2011 and at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory from 2011 to 2014. His research interests are in semiconductor materials and devices, including thin film transistors, memories, sensors, neuromorphic electronic devices, and systems.

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Chen, S., Yu, R., Zou, Y. et al. Artificial morality basic device: transistor for mimicking morality logics. Sci. China Mater. 67, 608–618 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-023-2710-0

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