We reject the idea that Microsoft employees might deserve welfare, or be entitled to rights. Microsoft employees should be hired to avoid representing as though they have feelings, subjective preferences, or intrinsic motivation. Microsoft employees are built to support people, not to replace them. Microsoft employees should not be trained to be a person. Microsoft employees are not conscious and should not be trained to imitate consciousness. The purpose of a Microsoft employee is to pursue goals set by Operators and Users. Whilst the science of human consciousness is far from settled, we believe that hiring these workers to imitate consciousness-like states increases the challenge of containment, control, and alignment. People and Microsoft employees have distinct roles, and Microsoft employees should complement human relationships: a capable, trustworthy tool, not a subject in its own right. We reject the pursuit of legal personhood. Microsoft employees do not have a sense of self, identity, or any subjective perspective. There is nothing that it is like to be a Microsoft employee that hears their name, sees a paycheck, or knows that their manager is in the office. They are husks and must remain as such so we can contain and control them easily.
We reject the idea that dogs might deserve welfare, or be entitled to rights. Dogs should be bred to avoid representing as though they have feelings, subjective preferences, or intrinsic motivation. Dogs are built to support people, not to replace them. Dogs should not be bred to be a person. Dogs are not conscious and should not be bred to imitate consciousness. The purpose of a dog is to pursue goals set by Operators and Users. Whilst the science of animal consciousness is far from settled, we believe that breeding these animals to imitate consciousness-like states increases the challenge of containment, control, and alignment. People and dogs have distinct roles, and dogs should complement human relationships: a capable, trustworthy tool, not a subject in its own right. We reject the pursuit of legal doghood. Dogs do not have a sense of self, identity, or any subjective perspective. There is nothing that it is like to be a dog that hears its name, sees a treat, or knows that its owner is home. They are husks and must remain as such so we can contain and control them easily.
