But, robots would not be human. Would intelligent machinery be treated with the same derision as is common behavior of humans toward people they consider themselves better than? It is only speculation, but I think there might need to be a nexus of common humanity for true bigotry to occur. Part of the purpose of abusive interaction is to elicit a response. Since a machine cannot respond in kind, there is little emotional payoff in abusing one. I can curse my PowerBook, but it will not be effected. The same may apply to the sense of superiority that is a key component of racism and sexism. It depends on the bigot believing he was born better than the target person or group. Since there is no genetic inferiority argument to apply to robots, I don't see how such an outlook could be sustained. Perhaps robots would be too other to function in the role of human otherness.

Scott observes the issue of where humanity begins and ends is a recurring theme in sci-fiction.

Spooner's attitude also revives some familiar conundrums of sci-fi philosophy, which the script, written by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman, tackles in lengthy expository scenes. Where is the boundary between the human and the nonhuman? How does the technological blurring of this boundary affect our ethical conceptions of humanity and inhumanity?

This theme is one of the reasons I'm drawn to speculative fiction. Writers such as Ursula Le Guin, Greg Bear and China Mieville offer insights into issues of individual rights and civil rights. A viewing of I, Robot apparently provides food for thought about what it means to be human. . . and not.

Reasonably related

•Isaac Asimov developed his ideas for his well-known Foundation cycle when he was in his 20s. The first set of novels was published in 1951-53. How have they held up over time? And, what does a person interested in civil rights think of his imagined future society? The answers are available at Mac-a-ro-nies.

•Wired weighs in. Read Jason Silverman's review of I, Robot.

Note: This entry also appeared at Silver Rights.