Can we equate replicants with humans, and how does technology change our ethical concerns about their existence and purpose?

The movie Blade Runner asks deep questions about the existence of replicants and how they differ from humans, and explores the impact of technological advancements on the nature and dignity of human beings.

 

Blade Runner is set in Los Angeles in 2019, when human science and technology are at the peak of development. The film emphasizes the rainy cityscape and the ominous eyes that gaze upon it, creating an eerie tension. The city is unsettling from the start, symbolizing a dark cross-section of future society. In the next scene, a man testing an android in a darkened office is suddenly shot by the android, shifting the mood from dazed and languid to drastically changed. The movie progresses slowly and then abruptly reverses its mood, keeping the audience in suspense.
The main character, Deckard, is a ‘blade runner’ like the man who was shot. A blade runner is a special police force that tracks down and eliminates android humans who have infiltrated Earth and are doing the dirty work for humans in space. Deckard hijacks a spaceship, kills everyone on board, and goes after the six A.I.s hiding out in Los Angeles. The A.I.s were created for a specific purpose and have a short lifespan of four years. The movie follows them as they search for their creators with the goal of simply extending their lives. Along the way, they challenge their creators and blur the lines between them and humans.
They look and have biological characteristics that closely resemble humans. In the movie, the test used by the Blade Runners to distinguish between them is based on “memory” rather than biological analysis. This emphasizes that the biggest distinction between humans and Android is their emotions and memories. If we imagine a technologically advanced future, it will become increasingly difficult to biologically distinguish between replicants. At this point, the movie explores humanity and asks philosophical questions about what makes us human.
Will we be able to distinguish between the humans we currently define as humans? For example, are physical structures and abilities such as high intelligence, upright walking, or a rich sensitivity really the criteria? In the movie, Roy has a very high intelligence and has knowledge on par with the president of Tyrell. They are also equal to humans in terms of physical structure and abilities. However, they differ from humans in their lack of experience, lack of memory, and violence. These differences lead to the conclusion that cloned humans cannot be equated with humans. But if these problems are solved with the advancement of science and technology, are they the same as humans?
Here, I argue that they are not. They are still simply clones of humans, and they are not equal to humans. They are created from birth with a specific purpose, and they exist for that purpose. This is the biggest difference between a human and an AI. While humans may have a certain amount of direction due to environmental factors, replicants are created from the beginning to fulfill a specific purpose. This is where the ethical issue of human dignity arises. If cloned humans are roughly equivalent to humans, do they have dignity? If they have the same dignity as humans, then we would not be able to use them as a means to an end. This leads to the conclusion that cloning itself should not be allowed.
If they are equal to humans, then using them as a means to an end would create a moral contradiction. So, is it right to view cloned humans as simply a product of science and technology? The answer to this question depends on the values of the time. Just as slavery was excluded from the category of human dignity in ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, and pre-modern Korea, it is likely that cloned humans will be too. But this leads to a discussion about the nature of humanity. If we recognize them as human-like beings, the line between human and non-human will be blurred, leading to social and ethical confusion.
The bottom line is that while they are biologically similar to humans, they are not identifiable as human beings. They are created for a specific purpose, and once that purpose is fulfilled, they are no longer needed. Therefore, cloned humans should not be allowed, and the creation of cloned humans should be prohibited to preserve human dignity. In an era where the development of science and technology threatens our humanity, we need to think deeply about what humanity is and how to protect it. This movie can be a starting point for us.