BREXIT in the nick of time- EU thinks robots should pay taxes

The European parliament, in all its wisdom(remember the straight cucumber rule?) has decided, if robots are going to replace human jobs, they should have to pay taxes, just like those they replace.

That's the takeaway from a draft report on robotics produced by the European Parliament, which warns that artificial intelligence and increased automation present legal and ethical challenges.

"Within the space of a few decades [artificial intelligence] could surpass human intellectual capacity in a manner which, if not prepared for, could pose a challenge to humanity's capacity to control its own creation and ... the survival of the species," the draft states.

Europe has recently proposed that future sentient robots should be legally classified as “electronic persons” and subject to pay taxes. The rationale behind this idea falls more along the sci-fi track of "robots taking over" and "taking our jobs."

Classifying a robot as an electronic person, of course opens up a Pandora's box of other issues. If the robot has to pay taxes, does it then have some rights, such as a human would? If its mechanics breaks down, would it be eligible for some sort of robot health care? This is of course the European way, tax it to death, but save it from death with State run healthcare.

More bureaucratic absurdity from a European body that has fallen in love with legislation, bureaucracy and itself.