Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT

WCDT Strips 3566 to 3570 (11th to 15th September 2017)

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JimC:
So Fay, you are, I fear, just the human face of the operation.

Think she's going to have to work on her customer care though.

BenRG:

--- Quote from: Narrow Century on 13 Sep 2017, 23:08 ---So, two questions for the crowd.

1. How SHOULD this work, if you were in a position to dictate it?
2. How DOES it work in the setting, by your estimation/cynicism?
--- End quote ---

* I suspect it isn't that dissimilar to how health insurance for humans works IRL. The big difference is that probably a lot of the legislation is a hangover from when AIs were property with legally-protected rights rather than people. Maintenance is the responsibility of the 'owner/operator', in real terms, the AI's human companion or employer. However, with the declaration that AIs are independent people in their own right, the legislation has been hastily redrafted to give AIs the option of procuring their own insurance in the event that they are fully independent of any human;
* The problem is basically the same as it is with humans. Specifically, it's expensive and not everyone can afford it. Additionally, some synthetics can't get it for a variety of commercial reasons (such as the insurance companies being unwilling to give good terms for those in 'high risk' occupations or who have chassis with known flaws that will require regular and expensive upkeep/maintenance). Whilst the military and the police, for example, likely have their own internal system for arranging and carrying out repairs, it is probably very bureaucratic and I have the feeling that it is quicker and easier for people like Roko to find an independent contractor and arrange something personally out of her own pocket.In summary? I think that Roko will prefer to pay Bubbles and Faye cash-in-hand rather than wait months for the Massachusetts State Police's internal bureaucracy to audit and approve her claim.
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Cornelius:

--- Quote from: Tlaloc on 14 Sep 2017, 00:38 ---I had the impression that RoKo underestimated Bubbles because she did not expect the AI in a Human-AI partnership to take the lead, look at most examples we have and you have a fair argument that while AI have agency they're somewhat dependant to some degree on their people. They are all companions in some aspect, even Pintsize.

Bubbles breaks this trend, being quite autonomous and choosing the union with Faye because she wishes to.

--- End quote ---
On the other hand, you do have Corpse Witch, as an earlier entrepreneurial example, and Punchbot, as a CPA. Roko herself seems fairly independent. Now, of course, there is the fact, that she's only ever met Bubbles before she took her armour off, when Faye was standing up for her, and she was heavily limited by the CW's proverbial stick behind the door.

Part of this view might just be that we're fairly limited in the AI's we've met up to now.


--- Quote from: pwhodges on 14 Sep 2017, 02:00 ---{political digression}
Framing your question in terms of "insurance" is already implicitly limiting it to a commercial transaction and thus subtly sidelining the possibility of fully social healthcare.
{/political digression}

--- End quote ---

I think it depends on how you frame it exactly. Where I live, there's the state's health insurance, which is run by the state, and a number of not for profit organisations. Partially it's a holdover from earlier union efforts.

As for chassis insurance, I think we need to first solve the issue of who is the legal owner of the chassis in question. It's not that hard to imagine a corporation investing in a certain type of chassis, and putting it to its (AI) workers disposition. Or indeed, a human companion buying one for their AI companion. Add to that that it seems very easy to switch chassis,...
AI are independent people with civic rights, that much we know. On what basis do they have those rights? Is it on the basis of consciousness, i.e. just their mind? If a certain chassis were to be coupled to make up the individual AI citizen, that would be problematic, and more than one of our characters is potentially in trouble.

Insurance efficiency, considering the chassis to be essentially disposable, I should think is much the same as with a car insurance.

Now, another question; how much is Union Robotics going to charge officer Basilisk, if the issue turns out to trace back to a certain raccoon incident?

JimC:

--- Quote from: BenRG on 14 Sep 2017, 02:14 --- I think that Roko will prefer to pay Bubbles and Faye cash-in-hand rather than wait months for the Massachusetts State Police's internal bureaucracy to audit and approve her claim.
--- End quote ---
I doubt they would approve her claim. They'd say she should have used the in-house jerk.
In this country 'cash-in-hand' implies a transaction that the tax man will be unaware of and not receive his share of.  Is that the case over there? I can certainly imagine Roko paying for the work out of personal funds, but having it off the books seems unlikely.

BenRG:
@JimC,

In the terms I mean, I'm saying that Roko would prefer to deal directly with Universal without involving the MSP in any way. In tax terms, figuring out their tax liability on the income will be something for Bubbles and Faye to later (likely with Punchbot's help).

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