Should we start thinking about laws for augmented humans?

edited May 2016 in Everything else
Keep in mind this is more to spark a discussion on how these would affect people then to actually discuss potential laws.
It's pretty much been talked to death by this point but its practically inevitable that we will have augmented and enhanced humans walking among us (prosthetic....bio enhanced..... mutation.... implantation.......). but do these enhanced humans deserve the same rights? maybe more legal protection maybe less? what about those like us (Grinders) who form there own body hacks and grinds. should we have the same legal protection as those that get an augment (anything you can think of) or those that, may even be born with one? (however unlikely, but then again kids have been born without myostatin). what kinds of laws and legal issues do you think would come up due to having people with abilities or tech within them? e.g. should someone with a prosthetic arm be held accountable for not lifting something off of poor little lucy? should someone who has some form of messenger in there head (e.g. some way of calling for help silently) be held accountable for not calling for help at the scene of a crime? As an example of something very possibly going to be out and about in the very near future : what about those with the google glass contact lens who take photos of people in public? what about those that don't take pictures/video of a crime? should they be held accountable? and on the other side of the spectrum those that use enhancements/augmentations for criminal activity, do they get any legal protection? or will they be more vulnerable to the law? for example a man with an augmented prosthetic robs a store using his arm, do we jail him and get rid of his arm? does he have his replaced with a non enhanced arm? does he have more jail time or perhaps a harsher punishment for using an augmentation? Should people be restricted from having life saving augments because of the potential for misuse? should augments and enhancements only be available to those who need them?
I'd like to know your guys thoughts on this. 
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Comments

  • usualy I would've held back but you asked for my thoughts so here they are: "just don't"
  • I think X-Men and Justice League comics have been over these questions ad nauseum. 

  • this is kind of a lazy answer but, for weapon there will be made an armor. 

    i know this discussion is all hypothetical but you can really only take these things as they come. for now, its not common enough yet to have benefits or restrictions.
  • I personally find the topic distasteful at this early stage of the game.  Best not to invite regulation any sooner than needed.

    That having been said, many of your examples are already covered under existing law and/or precedent in many areas of the world.  I refer you to this Wikipedia article and this Wikipedia article.

    Regarding special protections for the augmented, I should think most anti-discrimination laws would cover this, or if not, could be shored up to cover it very easily.  There is at least one documented case of discrimination against an augmented human:  link

    In the case of incarceration, there are examples of supposedly dangerous prosthetics being removed from inmates, but I'm talking about removable prosthetics (ex. link).  A permanent body modification was, in at least one case, forcefully removed from an inmate (link) with resulting litigation coming down on the inmate's side.

    While I said that I find the topic distasteful, as you can see, I've found it important to keep an eye on how these things are progressing.  This is the disturbing side of the future of augmentation and will need to be addressed someday, but I hope not today.
  • There are lawyers who meet up and discuss this sort of thing, or something.


  • My 0.02$: 
    What can be done, will be done, nothing can stop this. and given enough of an incentive, laws will mean nothing.
    I've seen a push for genetic modification to be classed as a wmd, but that would not stop me from improving if i could.
  • This discussion is silly.

    We have no idea what kind of augmentation are actually workable in reality. Yes, we might be able to have superhuman strength that can punch through walls and eyes that can shoot out lasers and jump so high that we go to space (and no need to breathe, to boot), but before that becomes reality we do not know what it really entails. Maybe because of real life physics there are still limitations. Maybe there is still some way for the normal people to deal with the so-called enhanced. Heck, even Superman have the kryptonite.

    Before it all happens for real, any discussion about "regulation" is futile. Because hey, there is still that possibility that this might not be feasible. So let's all just experiment away and see what actually works first before we get all excited?
  • Well, fine-tuning neurophysical & physical processes would be a likely first step. 
    The implications of that will rock the foundations of all intellectual work.
    Next step seems likely that people will modify their offspring, first screening of defects, then genetic fine-tuning. 
    This will cause a small revolution.
  • I agree with @katzevonstich lets just use the laws that are set up in x-men, they have had a lot of time to think about way more insane things than we are really doing. It's simple, well thought out, and already done for us.
  • i didn't so much start this topic to promote or start regulation (or to deny it may be necessary) but rather to spark discussion on the view points of those within this community on how advanced humans would be affected by the law. i also didn't mean to promote a "silly topic" but rather to allow discussion on how the law would affect individuals who have access to this kinds of tech. it's pretty clear however that most of you are pretty much against any discussion on this topic due to it being "distasteful" and "silly" to talk about at as well as being unnecessary, which is for the most part true might i add (as we don't exactly have access to these technologies it would be pointless to prepare laws and regulate them). just wanted to spark discussion of the viewpoints of those within the community as all.
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