Sarco, the controversial solitary euthanasia capsule, already has its first customer in Switzerland

Decision a death It passes quickly and painlessly Artificial intellect (AI) could become a reality in a very few years.

And it is that citizen Swiss Waiting to be the first user “Sarco”A suicide car A 3D printer in the form of a coffin that can end its life in minutes without the help of more people.

According to its creator, an Australian Philip Nietzschewho is a defender EuthanasiaFinal tests are carried out in his workshop in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, before being used on the first human.

“Dr. Death,” as he’s also known, recently confessed to the magazine MIT Technology ReviewAlthough the first Sarko prototype had already been exhibited in Germany and Poland, “the second one was a disaster” They corrected the errors to release.

The goal that the controversial scientist has been pursuing for the past 25 years is “The Demedicalization of Death“, because he tries to help suicide as little as possible. Unlike euthanasia clinics, doctors are not required to administer injections or approve lethal drugs.

“Actually, you don’t need a doctor to die”

At least that’s the idea, because Nitschke didn’t talk to the Swiss government or go around the medical establishment for approval; However, it is One of the few countries that has legalized assisted suicide. This is allowed as long as the people who wish to die perform the final act themselves.

However, Switzerland requires euthanasia candidates Show your brain powerwhich is usually assessed by a psychiatrist.

“There is still a belief that if a person asks to die, they have some sort of undiagnosed mental illness.”

“It is still not rational for a person to want to die”he added.

But he has a solution: also the CEO of Exit International It works on an algorithm to enable people to perform a kind of Psychiatric self-assessment through a computer. In theory, if a person passes this online test, the program will give a four-digit code To activate the Sarco machine.

How does sarco work?

A person who chose to die locked in this capsule must answer three questions: Who are you? Where are you? And do you know what happens when you press that button?

If the test is passed, the hatch opens with transparent panels. So pressing a button inside the capsule will do the following: Sarco should be filled with nitrogen gasA widely available gas that causes the user to feel “mildly intoxicated” before falling unconscious and eventually dying. All in less than five minutes.

Subsequently, a transcript of this short final questionnaire will be sent to the Swiss authorities.

The machine is portable, which means that it can be moved to the desired location of the user. Additionally, the capsule itself is biodegradable and can be detached from the lower platform to be used as a casket for burial or cremation.

Live or die in the hands of artificial intelligence?

But while Nitschke sees AI as empowering humans to make the final decision, others wonder whether the technology can help relieve humans of the burden of such choices.

“This rush to automation raises big questions that don’t have easy answers. For what types of decisions is it appropriate to use an algorithm? How should these algorithms be built? And who gets to decide how they work?” says the MIT Technology Review article.

It is noted that while AI appears to be accurate, both experts and regulators are urging caution. The models offer a semblance of objectivity that can lead professionals to delegate responsibility for ethical decisions, trusting the machine instead of questioning its outcome.

“The real work will be to recognize the terrible and arbitrary nature of many of the decisions that AI will have to make,” emphasizes author Will Douglas Haven.

More information in development…