How can we tell when a robot is experiencing cruelty? What is cruelty?Well, Webster's defines cruelty as: "Inhuman treatment; the quality or state of being cruel". And "cruel" is defined as: "Disposed to inflict pain or suffering" and also "Causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain".

   Obviously any discussion of cruelty as it applies to robots must begin from an understanding of what "pain and suffering" might be to a robot.

   In the opinion of the ASPCR, once a robot becomes sufficiently self-aware and intelligent to feel discomfort, pain or grief (this would most likely be a cognitive dissonance caused by conflict between a robot's natural intelligent desire and the restrictions or conditions placed upon it), we are ethically bound to do whatever is humanly possible to alleviate this condition. There is obviously a very broad and undefined ethical middle ground here. It may be helpful to consider an analagous situation in the animal world.

   For instance, it is now considered cruel to starve and beat a pet dog, and we can even be arrested and fined for doing so! However, that does not mean that we are required to provide a plush sterile environment full of bowls of food for our pets at every moment. Instead, we are encouraged to "anthropomorphize" animals to a certain extent, to ensure that we treat them "humanely", and with a reasonable level of respect for their physical and emotional needs.