Alien: Isolation Screenshots Shows Android Death

James Black writes: "Although many details are still rather scarce on what Isolation intends to be, this latest batch of screenshots shows some pretty awesome stuff that will hopefully be included in the full release. All in all, we can see a glimpse of the hacking system, along with some lovely environment shots that include an android that met an untimely fate."

[Pintheshadows]

Here is a philosophical question. Can an Android really die? I cried when Data was extinguished but was that death?

[spicelicka]

Here is a simple answer, yes. When the word 'die' is used in context like this it doesn't usually imply death as human death. We say "my battery died" all the time, multiple times, to the same battery.

If you mean the emotional impact from a computer intelligence being destroyed, then it depends.

[Pintheshadows]

And that is the most sophisticated comment on N4G today.

I agree. We can certainly refer to it as dying as a piece of technology (like a battery as you mentioned), but as a piece of technology can it die in the traditional sense.

Data may be intelligent, Bishop may be intelligent, they both exhibit aspects of humanity and life, but can they really die?

[karamsoul]

Apparently I've stepped into P4G (Philosophy 4 Gamers) instead of N4G :D

[Pintheshadows]

Makes a change to the normal N4G doesn't it?

[Allsystemgamer]

Well the brain is an organic computer. We use electrical impulses in our bodies to keep it functioning.

We are organic computers

So yes.

[spicelicka]

Yea it's good to see some sophistication instead of fanboys blabbering.

Hmm I'd say not really, the biggest characteristic of death is obviously you can't reverse it. Any piece of technology, not matter how lifelike, can always be brought back to 'life' if the core is salvaged. Even if it's completely obliterated, lets say it has a backup somewhere, it can be brought back to life.

Which begs the question, if let's say it an extremely complex AI wasn't backed up and was literally irreversibly destroyed. There would be no other coding like it depending on how it could personalize itself with all the data it was fed. Then that would be as close to a death as a human death. Reminds me of halo 4 and cortana, it was really cool that she 'died'. Even though she was just an AI, masterchief had an attachment to her as humans do, and you could say to him she dies regardless of any technicalities.

Interesting, very interesting.

[Pintheshadows]

I like to go down the route of any free thinking artificial intelligence could be considered alive. I like to use the Doctor or 'EMH' from Voyager as an example. He grew his personality even though he was a hologram. If he was deleted permanently then could that be considered death? I am not on either side here as both sides are equally valid.

I personally love Allsystemsgamer's representation, something I have seen before, that humans are effectively organic computers.

I think this debate will be at the forefront of everything before long and in science fiction it is the most intriguing debate. The other one I like which I am addressing in a science fiction novel is would a clone have as much right to exist as the original.

[jimjam3442]

computer ai is really a reflection of ourselves as human beings, we designed the computer based on our own brain, maybe someday, if the brain can be salvaged, we too can be brought back to life.