Humans have historically used race, religion, gender, and sexuality as justifications to deny others the right to vote, marry, own property, and live freely. While robots weren’t even a distant thought in the minds of our nation’s founders when they drafted the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, ethicists, scientists, and legal experts now wrestle with the question of whether our mechanical counterparts deserve rights. Does an entity need to be human to be protected by law? Never mind that robots are already smarter (at least, at specific tasks) and stronger—and will soon become more so. While evolution remains a constant force on humanity, it’s being outpaced by the exponential growth of technology.

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