Application of Personhood to Artificially Intelligent Entities: The Opinion of Central Michigan University Students

Informed Consent:

Application of Personhood to Artificially Intelligent Entities: The Opinion of Central Michigan University Students

Contact Information:

lowe4se@cmich.edu

rolew1ac@cmich.edu 

brenn2km@cmich.edu

Project Description: 

The purpose of this project is to determine what opinions CMU students currently have about the topic of personhood and how those opinions may apply to artificial intelligence in the future.  We want to know which definitions of personhood will be applied to AI by the general public in the future, what specific aspects of these definitions will be the biggest factors in evaluating the personhood of AI entities, and why. Our findings should indicate what characteristics CMU students think are most essential to personhood in order to decipher whether or not they think it is possible for a synthetic being to be considered a person at all, as well as the reasoning behind their beliefs.

Procedure and Risks:

I would like to use the information from this survey in my English 201 paper.  No personal identifiers will be used to ensure your anonymity. Please feel free to say as much or as little as you want.  You can decide not to answer any question or to stop the survey any time you want. 

There are no known risks associated with participation in the study.

Benefits:

It is hoped that your insight into the topic of my research will help me in my understanding of this issue and will help me succeed in my English course.

Cost Compensation:

Participation in this study will involve no costs or payments to you.

Confidentiality:

All information collected during the study period will be kept strictly confidential and will be destroyed after the project is completed. No publications or reports from this project will include identifying information on any participant without your signed permission, and after your review of the materials.  By continuing to the study, you agree to the above conditions. Thank you for your time.