Pan-Sapient Rights

From Gothpoodle

This meme centers on the definition of sapience, or the ability to reason at or beyond the same level as humans. This is distinct from sentience, the ability to process sensory information and act on it. A dog is sentient, but not sapient; the same applies to a nonsapient AI. In contrast, a “sapient” entity is one that can display reasoning, autonomy, initiative, and self-awareness approximating a human of similar development.

The Adjusted Sapience Index Test (ASIT) used by the Algernon Foundation offers one of the more accepted definitions of “sapience.” The ASIT scale is still controversial, especially when measuring the development of infomorphs such as AIs.

Supporters of pan-sapient rights believe that all sapient beings deserve to be treated as humans. They tend to support pantropy and morphological freedom, and dismiss biochauvinism as bigotry. Pan-sapient “abolitionists” work to free exploited sapient AIs, ghosts, bioroids, and uplifted animals.