Evil Ted wrote:And if it is found that this machine is not conscious, but is just a computer, who, if anyone, takes the blame for the crime?
That's exactly the dilemma the auto industry are in now with autonomous cars.
If an autonomous car faces a no win scenario and has to crash and kill the driver or kill a pedestrian or just decides for whatever reason to run someone over who do you blame?
It's neither sentient or conscious but has made a decision and someone has died do you blame the programmers or just chalk it up to bad luck?