228 12 The Engineering and Development of Ethics the AGI are not the only source of concern. Immorality in AGIs might arise via learning gross moral hypocrisy from humans, through observing the blatant contradictions between our high minded principles and the ways in which we actually conduct ourselves. Our violent and greedy tendencies, as well as aggressive forms of social organization such as cliquishness and social vigilantism, could easily undermine prescriptive ethics. Even an accumulation of less grandiose unethical drives such as violation of contracts, petty theft, white lies, and so forth might lead an AGI (as well as a human) to the decision that ethical behavior is irrelevant and that “the ends justify the means.” It matters both who creates and trains an AGI, as well as how the AGI’s teacher(s) handle explaining the behaviors of other humans which contradict the moral lessons imparted through pedagogy and example. In other words, where imitative learning is concerned, the situation with AGI ethics is much like teaching ethics and morals to a human child, but with the possibility of much graver consequences in the event of failure. It is unlikely that dangerously unethical persons and organizations can ever be identified with absolute certainty, never mind that they then be deprived of any possibility of creating their own AGI system. Therefore, we suggest, the most likely way to create an ethical environment for AGIs is for those who wish such an environment to vigorously pursue the creation and teaching of ethical AGIs. But this leads on to the question of possible future scenarios for the development of AGI, which we’ll address a little later on. 12.6.1 Possible Consequences of Depriving AGIs of Freedom One of the most egregious possible ethical transgressions against AGIs, we suggest, would be to deprive them of freedom and autonomy. This includes the freedom to pursue intellectual growth, both through standard learning and through internal selfmo