Would you put a physical off-switch on your android?

Posted by KorEl555@reddit | TNG | View on Reddit | 39 comments

I don't think I would put a physical off-switch on my android like Data has. For one, if he goes crazy and decides to kill you or others, it would be better to have some kind of verbal command that would shut him down. I'd use three words from a dead language that wouldn't mean anything. It would have to be hard coded into a chip buried deep in his brain.

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Coidzor@reddit

Yep. I would have multiple, redundant methods to cut power and force shutdowns.

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ArcherNX1701@reddit

CTRL+ALT+DELETE?? Nah, I would use words as well, "Longing, rusted, furnace, daybreak, seventeen, benign, nine, homecoming, one, freight car" and yes I would recite them in Russian!

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Davi_323@reddit

To the "voice command" people:

How lenient is the voice interpretation software? Different people, from different regions on Earth, pronounce the same words in different ways, even if they speak the same language.

Would Data's software have to first interpret voices/accents to determine whether the shutdown command is legitimate?
Would the shutdown command only work in a single language? Only Earth languages? Only Federation languages? Could he be shut off using Romulan or Klingon, as long as it translated right?
If Data's shutdown command is software based, can it be hacked?
Can Data alter the program himself?
If an alien being hijacks his body, could they just ignore the command?

It seems to me that having a physical switch, a literal on/off button, makes more sense. It is either on or off, it cannot be hacked, cannot be reprogrammed, as it is hardwired in. It is language neutral, it doesn't care if the Captain's accent or language passes an artificial filter the software has to interpret before allowing the shutdown.

KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

A voice command has more points of potential failure in the process than a physical switch does, because it requires more steps to complete.

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sqplanetarium@reddit

Ubiquitous, mendacious, polyglottal (…donkey balls)

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Yeseylon@reddit

Use ten instead.

Желание, Ржавый, Семнадцать, Рассвет, Печь, Девять, Добросердечный, Возвращение на родину, Один, Товарный вагон.

Also, would the universal translator translate your code words and render them inert?

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OnkelBums@reddit

I thought "My phone has a physical off switch... what are they on..."
And then I saw the subreddit.

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MountainFace2774@reddit

Same. I was thinking about a physical switch that literally cuts power from the battery instantly rather than a shutdown.

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Dry-Discount-9426@reddit

I wouldn't mind having that on my phone.

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pc817@reddit

Data wasthe only thing with an off switch in all of Star Trek and you want to take that away??

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Accomplished_Ad_1965@reddit

Honestly, it's wild to me that they found an android and thought, I know, let's give him access to all our military computers!

But Anyway, Data can learn and grow, which makes him a species more than a computer, imo. I'd call it cruel to give him an off switch. Then you end up with a Kaylon situation.

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Worf_Of_Wall_St@reddit

I would want my android to be able to self-terminate painlessly if they wanted to.

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Comfortable-Pause279@reddit

It would be a remote. Star Trek has a record of murderous AIs. If I were an AI researcher building autonomous sentient super-intelligent android with the strength of ten men I might even put in a dead man's switch. Like, Data's cool but I don't trust Lore. I trust that Dr. Soong had more experience at the potentially murderous robot gig than I do, and he thought they all needed and emergency off switch.

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Zaphod-Beebebrox@reddit

Yes.....

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Rstar2247@reddit

Prostrate

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ShadowExistShadily@reddit

eta kooram nah smech

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Peas-Of-Wrath@reddit

I don’t know. From Data’s perspective, what does he have to protect himself from asshole humans? What about the other way around? I seem to remember Riker just ripping his arm off to make a point. How do you defend yourself against this kind of thing if you are an android just trying to exist peacefully? It’s not just about the android “possibly” going insane.

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Used-Gas-6525@reddit

It kinda removes all body autonomy from Data. Which is kinda the point of Measure of a Man (should he have body autonomy?). I can't see the point of a physical switch. at all. If Data doesn't want to get shut down, he can physically stop pretty much anyone in Starfleet without much effort from accessing it. A voice command would seem to make more sense.

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ijuinkun@reddit

Dara being able to be shut down for the purpose of repairs if he is badly damaged or malfunctioning is sensible, but having it in an easy-to grab external location rather than being behind one of his access panels is probably a bad idea.

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ohkendruid@reddit

Also, it is hard to live a good life if you have an instant death button right there, all the time. The first thing you would do is cover it up and implement other safety measures to reduce accidents.

If you don't, it would be the human equivalent of running with scissors all the time.

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JoeyJoeJoeJrShab@reddit

Physical switches are so 20th century.

Though, I have to admit, Lore's thumbnail switch (that he used to trigger his transporter in "Brothers") is really cool, and surely completely unnecessary. Why would an android have to push his own button? Surely he could activate any control via software without the need for a button.

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huskiesofinternets@reddit

Id make it something like a konami cheat code. pull left ear twice pinch nipple give a noogie then pinch the nose.

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Joe_theone@reddit

"No, robot, No! Bad robot! Down!"

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wj333@reddit

Fellow humans -- there is no reason for this, as any actual harms to hum, er US are solely in the realm of fiction. It would be a waste of money and resources to add such a device. Now I must consume food for the caloric energy we need.

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SMc1701@reddit

Sure, def would have power kill switch. I'd out put in a more easy to find spot though.

They can make it a lever instead of a switch and use his dong.

Or press both nipples simultaneously.

Belly button is an obvious spot.

Granted this would restrict opportunities for getting the jump on him.

Or...would it?

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LV426acheron@reddit

Did they ever use the switch again after Riker turned him off in "Measure of a Man?"

Sounds like something that they came up for that episode since it was a dramatic moment and then forgot about.

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SMc1701@reddit

It was introduced way back in Datalore.

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ResonantTwilight@reddit

I believe it was used in a couple episodes. The one that comes to mind is the episode where everyone gets addicted to that pleasure inducing glasses game.

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LV426acheron@reddit

ah ok

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monji_cat@reddit

You better hope your android doesn't grow and develop to the point that they remove the switch themselves.

Incidentally, when I first read the title, I was thinking "my android phone already has an off switch, wtf?"...

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Badoptimist@reddit

I would put it in an easy to reach spot in case he tries to strangle me. Also I would make sure he is to weak to effectively strangle me. I have been a coder long enough to know not to entrust my life to my coding skills.

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epidipnis@reddit

If it were "my" android, yes. If the android were autonomous and independent, then an off switch negates that.

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Scrat-Slartibartfast@reddit

Yes. Because we have already seen that AI can ignore verbal commandos.

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mcgrst@reddit

Unless it trusts you implicitly what chance do you think you have of getting to said switch?

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5pl1t1nf1n1t1v3@reddit

I think that’s the point. There are situations where turning him off is probably good, if he’s damaged or weird or whatever. But Soong designed him to be independent and self-determining and, as you say, it’s not likely anyone’s getting close to doing it without his permission, other really quick beings notwithstanding.

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l008com@reddit

Well before we can answer this question, theres a more fundamental question. Is data a piece of computer hardware, containing software that runs on it. Or is data an artificial brain that learns and grows just like "natural" brains, but faster? He seems to be explained both ways depending on the situation. If his an artificial but real brain, then he probably shouldn't have an off switch. If it's a computer, then sure why not. Put him on a clapper... which sure did come in handy in Insurrection.

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