https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=A+Future+Pilot 2026-04-30T03:38:29Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=144:_Parody_Week:_A_Softer_World&diff=39662 2013-06-06T13:12:52Z

<p>A Future Pilot: /* Explanation */ Slight rewording</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 144<br /> | date = August 17, 2006<br /> | title = Parody Week: A Softer World<br /> | image = a_softer_robot.jpg<br /> | titletext = The robot is pregnant. It isn't mine.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> This comic is a parody of Joey Comeau and Emily Horne's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Softer_World A Softer World] webcomic. The first panel references the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_(command) Kill command] which would be used to turn off the robot every morning. This joke is a reference to the classic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction Science Fiction] theme of robots taking over and killing humans.<br /> <br /> <br /> The second and third panels then turn the comic to a more introspective thought per [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Softer_World A Softer World's] usual style. There are two possible meanings of these panels.<br /> <br /> The first reference human's natural reaction to be afraid of love because it requires vulnerability and honesty, which is very difficult. In the comic, they are afraid to tell it to love, because then it would experience these same difficulties and fears.<br /> <br /> The second meaning deals with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence Artifical Intelligence]; specifically [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_AI strong AI]. The idea is that the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_agent AI agent] would not only act as if it was intelligent, but truly BE intelligent and have emotions and feelings as well. There has been much debate over whether an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_agent AI agent] could actually feel [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion emotions] in the same manner as humans, as well as much consternation over the ethical concerns and moral ramifications it would have. Thus the comic's &quot;We're afraid to tell it to love.&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> The title-text takes [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love love] to be an act of love-making instead of an emotional feeling, thus why the robot is pregnant.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :when we open the lab each morning, we tell the robot to kill<br /> :it's our little joke<br /> :but secretly<br /> :we're just afraid<br /> :to tell it to love<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

A Future Pilot https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=144:_Parody_Week:_A_Softer_World&diff=39661 2013-06-06T13:11:37Z

<p>A Future Pilot: /* Explanation */ Added line-breaks.</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 144<br /> | date = August 17, 2006<br /> | title = Parody Week: A Softer World<br /> | image = a_softer_robot.jpg<br /> | titletext = The robot is pregnant. It isn't mine.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> This comic is a parody of Joey Comeau and Emily Horne's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Softer_World A Softer World] webcomic. The first panel references the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_(command) Kill command] which would be used to turn off the robot every morning. It's a joke because of the classic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction Science Fiction] theme of robots taking over and killing humans.<br /> <br /> <br /> The second and third panels then turn the comic to a more introspective thought per [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Softer_World A Softer World's] usual style. There are two possible meanings of these panels.<br /> <br /> The first reference human's natural reaction to be afraid of love because it requires vulnerability and honesty, which is very difficult. In the comic, they are afraid to tell it to love, because then it would experience these same difficulties and fears.<br /> <br /> The second meaning deals with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence Artifical Intelligence]; specifically [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_AI strong AI]. The idea is that the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_agent AI agent] would not only act as if it was intelligent, but truly BE intelligent and have emotions and feelings as well. There has been much debate over whether an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_agent AI agent] could actually feel [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion emotions] in the same manner as humans, as well as much consternation over the ethical concerns and moral ramifications it would have. Thus the comic's &quot;We're afraid to tell it to love.&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> The title-text takes [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love love] to be an act of love-making instead of an emotional feeling, thus why the robot is pregnant.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :when we open the lab each morning, we tell the robot to kill<br /> :it's our little joke<br /> :but secretly<br /> :we're just afraid<br /> :to tell it to love<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

A Future Pilot