--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I read recently that someone set up a…" description: "\"I read recently that someone set up a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Robots in America. The idea being that if something robotic can have res..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/emily-berrington-16172_america_i-read-recently-that-someone-set-up-a-so_458992.jpg" --- # I read recently that someone set up a Society for the… ![“I read recently that someone set up a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Robots in America. The idea being that if something robotic can have responsibilities then it should also have rights.” quote by Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/emily-berrington-16172_america_i-read-recently-that-someone-set-up-a-so_458992.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/emily-berrington-16172_america_i-read-recently-that-someone-set-up-a-so_458992.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71c/emily-berrington-16172_america_i-read-recently-that-someone-set-up-a-so_458992.jpg) > “I read recently that someone set up a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Robots in America. The idea being that if something robotic can have responsibilities then it should also have rights.” [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A speculative comment on granting robots rights if they have responsibilities, suggesting a moral extension to AI. **In simple terms:** If robots have duties, they should have rights. Key Takeaway Consider ethical implications of advanced AI. Themes ethics technology rights Mood thoughtful speculative Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - policy discussion - future tech Key Concepts robotics artificial intelligence moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Should responsibility always entail rights? - What rights would be appropriate for robots? A Different Perspective The concept may be too abstract or premature for current law. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Robots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robots/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [If something robotic can have responsibilities then it should also have rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/if-something-robotic-can-have-responsibilities-then-it-should-also/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [“People worried about our passing over into some robotic state, but we were so much like robots already, programmed and easy to manipulate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/people-worried-about-our-passing-over-into-some-robotic-state-but-we/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [Back in the twentieth century, we thought that robots would have taken over by this time, and, in a way, they have. But robots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/back-in-the-twentieth-century-we-thought-that-robots-would-have-taken/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [I am more on the side of humans than robots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/i-am-more-on-the-side-of-humans-than-robots/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [Imagine a doctor in Chicago doing an operation for someone in Taiwan using robotic surgery. You want the doctor to feel immediate feedback to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajeev-suri/imagine-a-doctor-in-chicago-doing-an-operation-for-someone-in-taiwan/) [Rajeev Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajeev-suri/) > [I do feel like 'The Dark Knight' is a great film, but that Batman in there? He's almost like Robocop to me. He's almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-bermejo/i-do-feel-like-the-dark-knight-is-a-great-film-but-that-batman-in/) [Lee Bermejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-bermejo/) > [“The trouble with you, Peter, is that when you think of a witness to a planetological statement, you think of planetologists. You divide up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/the-trouble-with-you-peter-is-that-when-you-think-of-a-witness-to-a/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [Athletes these days are too robotic. People like to see performances filled with emotion. In my career I tried to be amusing, to differentiate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daley-thompson/athletes-these-days-are-too-robotic-people-like-to-see-performances/) [Daley Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daley-thompson/) > [Who gets to decide the robotic bill of rights? It's going to be controversial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gray-scott/who-gets-to-decide-the-robotic-bill-of-rights-it-s-going-to-be/) [Gray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gray-scott/) > [I was really overwhelmed by the amount of roles that I got offered that were carbon copies of what I did in 'Up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kendrick/i-was-really-overwhelmed-by-the-amount-of-roles-that-i-got-offered/) [Anna Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kendrick/) > [I think it's safe to say people are going to be interested in Kim Kardashian's love choices for the next 30 years. But they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-people-are-going-to-be-interested-in-kim/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [The era during which only governments could put hardware on the Moon is coming to an end. There are 26 private teams competing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-era-during-which-only-governments-could-put-hardware-on-the-moon/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Most robotic heads have 20 motors. Mine have 32.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hanson/most-robotic-heads-have-20-motors-mine-have-32/) [David Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hanson/) > [When you're too robotic and scripted, the students tune you out. So I always tried to use different learning modalities - kinesthetic, auditory, visual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-gruwell/when-you-re-too-robotic-and-scripted-the-students-tune-you-out-so-i/) [Erin Gruwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-gruwell/) > [Do my worst, eh? Smithers, release the robotic Richard Simmons." --Mr. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/do-my-worst-eh-smithers-release-the-robotic-richard-simmons-mr-burns/) [Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/) ## More by Emily Berrington > [If there is an option to use a real human being and to have a chat with somebody and do your shopping that way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/if-there-is-an-option-to-use-a-real-human-being-and-to-have-a-chat/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [As far as I'm aware, you can't tell if something is going to be successful. Brilliant scripts often don't get picked up, and terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/as-far-as-i-m-aware-you-can-t-tell-if-something-is-going-to-be/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [I literally can't get anywhere now without the map on my phone. I used to use an A-Z when I first came to London,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/i-literally-can-t-get-anywhere-now-without-the-map-on-my-phone-i-used/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [I've been reading a lot about what the Internet does to our brains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/i-ve-been-reading-a-lot-about-what-the-internet-does-to-our-brains/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [When I was little, I was actually really shy. I really enjoyed doing school plays, but I found the whole thing terrifying. I cried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/when-i-was-little-i-was-actually-really-shy-i-really-enjoyed-doing/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [I try not to always use self-check-out and things like that!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/i-try-not-to-always-use-self-check-out-and-things-like-that/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [Auditioning for something you already know and love is terrifying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/auditioning-for-something-you-already-know-and-love-is-terrifying/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [Nobody stays in the world that you've seen them in before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/nobody-stays-in-the-world-that-you-ve-seen-them-in-before/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [I am more on the side of humans than robots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/i-am-more-on-the-side-of-humans-than-robots/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [I knew, the second I read 'Humans,' that no matter how successful the show was, the script was superb and like nothing else I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/i-knew-the-second-i-read-humans-that-no-matter-how-successful-the/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [Luckily, most days filming, for me, have involved a bit of a workout, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/luckily-most-days-filming-for-me-have-involved-a-bit-of-a-workout-too/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [I worry that if you see a row of self-checkouts, you think, 'That all used to be jobs and real people.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/i-worry-that-if-you-see-a-row-of-self-checkouts-you-think-that-all/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [I really enjoy working with people who have come into this industry for what I think are really admirable reasons. People who really want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/i-really-enjoy-working-with-people-who-have-come-into-this-industry/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [You meet people and go, 'We're going to be friends forever!' then you get home and can't even remember their name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/you-meet-people-and-go-we-re-going-to-be-friends-forever-then-you-get/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) > [It's my dream career to do as many different things as possible and for as long as possible, to stretch myself in as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-berrington/it-s-my-dream-career-to-do-as-many-different-things-as-possible-and/) [Emily Berrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) [Explore all 40 Emily Berrington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-berrington/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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