History Main / AndroidsArePeopleToo

* Exploration of this trope is pretty much the point of the Marvel characters TheVision and [[Creator/JackKirby Machine]] [[ComicBook/NextWave Man.]] Good guys treat them like people, while [[FantasticRacism bigots]] treat them like they're JustAMachine. In fairness, they are mistrusted for other reasons too: Vision was built by [[{{Character/Ultron}} a villain]] to use as a [[MechaMooks minion,]] but he [[HeelFaceTurn revolted.]] Aaron Stack the Machine Man was the last of a line of experimental robots, all the others of whom went [[CrushKillDestroy homicidally insane;]] Aaron turned out okay because one scientist decided to [[MotherlyScientist raise him as a son.]]

* Androids 16,17, 18 from ''DragonBallZ'', although 17 and 18 started off as bad guys.

* All artificial humanoid constructs are treated as humans by default in the ''LyricalNanoha'' universe, including cyborgs, clones with constructed personalities, [[PureMagicBeing living magical programs]] running off another mage's {{mana}}, and full androids whose creator accidentally gave [[PersonalityChip human-level personalities]].

* Data of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' is treated as a full crew-member except by season 2's Doctor Pulaski, but even she changed her mind, and she was a DoctorJerk to begin with. The episode ''The Measure of a Man'' was dedicated to exploring this: Commander Bruce Maddox wants to reverse-engineer Data, but Data refuses to submit, believing that Maddox won't be able to put him back together properly. He even goes so far as to tender his resignation from Starfleet to keep Maddox from opening him up. Commander Riker is ordered to serve as advocate for the prosecution when Maddox gets the judge advocate general involved, making the argument that Data is not a person, but Starfleet property, so he cannot resign nor refuse the procedure. Picard defends Data with the argument that while Data is a machine, he's also a person with aspirations, goals, and purpose. He fulfills two of the three criteria for sentience (intelligence and self-awareness) and the last one (consciousness) is not measurable by outsiders, so to refuse Data the rights of a person would make TheFederation potentially guilty of creating a slave race if they mass produce his kind.

* The {{Tron}} universe goes bonkers with this. While the films, games, and ''TronUprising'' series use the Programs' [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman non-human status]] and peculiar way of dying as a form of BloodlessCarnage (and a way to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar depict some extremely violent and disturbing scenes]] in a {{Disney}} franchise), in-universe depictions portray the Programs and Isos as being every bit as alive and sentient as the Users who made them.

* In the ''PhantasyStarOnline'' games, differences between humans and androids are never addressed or mentioned. It's entirely unnoticeable to everyone.

* Exploration of this trope is pretty much the point of the Marvel characters TheVision and [[JackKirby Machine]] [[NextWave Man.]] Good guys treat them like people, while [[FantasticRacism bigots]] treat them like they're JustAMachine. In fairness, they are mistrusted for other reasons too: Vision was built by [[{{Character/Ultron}} a villain]] to use as a [[MechaMooks minion,]] but he [[HeelFaceTurn revolted.]] Aaron Stack the Machine Man was the last of a line of experimental robots, all the others of whom went [[CrushKillDestroy homicidally insane;]] Aaron turned out okay because one scientist decided to [[MotherlyScientist raise him as a son.]]

As we all know, ClonesAreExpendable, ArtificialHumans are [[ScaleOfScientificSins abominations]] against nature, and [[RobotRollCall robots]] are a [[AIIsACrapshoot crapshoot]]. It seems as though artificial lifeforms just can't catch a break in the world of fiction, all because they're NotEvenHuman. After all, WhatMeasureIsANonHuman

** The regular androids aren't as self-aware as humans and aren't actually treated as "people". the [=DRNs=] are actually an ''earlier'' model that worked ''too well'': capable of near-genuine or genuine self-awareness, but this meant that they'd crack under the pressure of a human put in the same circumstances (if a human police officer saw a little girl get shot dead, he'd have a mental breakdown too - the bureaucrats decided it was simply because the line was defective and "crazy" to begin with, so they shelved the whole line).

*** One common theory is that it's ''because'' of Data's rarity and holograms' ubiquity. There's just one Data, and every attempt to make another like him, ''even by Data's creator or Data himself,'' has met with failure. On the other hand, if they recognize the Doctor's personhood, suddenly the Federation has to give up its current use of holograms, and they're used in pretty much every area of life - it ''ain't'' just [[KissMeImVirtual holo-sex]]. Though given the constant HolodeckMalfunctions, losing them would be a blessing in disguise.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* While many of them [[AmbiguousRobot seem to be robotic]], several [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]], such as Porygon and Magneton, are distinctly stated to be robotic or otherwise artificial. Despite this, they treated no differently from other Pokémon, and treating Pokémon with kindness and love is one of the franchise's strongest themes.

** Not quite. Recall that Paul orders his android partner to get him coffee, which is at least a little demeaning; most of the characters' only concern when the main character Kennex shoots or otherwise damages a robot is more along the lines of "Thanks for causing an inconvenience" (Maldonado even says "Do you have any idea how much these things cost?"); Kennex himself is specifically anti-robot for the most part; deactivating illegal sexbots early on was a non-issue; taking away the memories of "crazy" [=DRNs=] is perfectly acceptable, even when the memories in question have nothing to do with sensitive police files; and there will probably be more examples as the show progresses. For the most part it seems like Dorian (Kennex's android partner) is trying to convince other people, especially Kennex, that AndroidsArePeopleToo

* The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Discworld/FeetOfClay'' has a theme of {{Golem}}s Are People Too, which is explored further in ''Discwolrd/GoingPostal''.

* In QuestionableContent, [=AnthroPCs=] are treated as if they are people most of the time, especially since in the QC universe, the Singularity has recently happened. It's unclear then why Pintsize hasn't been arrested yet, the filthy little boob terrorist.
* This is apparently the way the [[HigherTechSpecies Nemesites]] treat [=AI's=] in ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' judging by Voluptua's treatment of Roofus the Robot. However, they also have nonsentient robots that are JustAMachine.

*** Data is unique and is treated as human by nearly everyone, but holograms are ubiquitous in the Federation and are treated as nonsentient, disposable toys, despite the existence of obvious exceptions like [[DeepSpaceNine Vic Fontaine]] and the Doctor. This raises [[FridgeHorror uncomfortable questions]] that are never satisfactorily addressed.

** There is an in-universe example - the soap "Androids" (a parody of Neighbours) that Kryten used to watch, with the tag line "Androids have feelings too".

* In ''Series/Extant'' John firmly believes this, and even has a [[RobotKid robot son]] named Ethan, hoping to prove it beyond all doubt. People who dispute it [[BerserkButton anger him]].

->''"[[PatrickStewartSpeech Starfleet was made to seek out new life]]. (points to Data) Well, ''there it sits''."''

* The approach to this trope is one of the biggest differences between the comic and animated versions of ''TransformersGeneration1.'' In the animated series, it's immediately clear to all human eye witnesses that one faction of the alien robots is trying to defend them from the other faction, so the Autobots become well-respected allies almost right away. In the comic series (since MarvelComics would scarcely be Marvel Comics without FantasticRacism), the distinction between the two sides is much less clear to the humans, so all Transformers are treated with hostility.

* The approach to this trope is one of the biggest differences between the comic and animated versions of ''TransformersGeneration1'' In the animated series, it's immediately clear to all human eye witnesses that one faction of the alien robots is trying to defend them from the other faction, so the Autobots become well-respected allies almost right away. In the comic series (since MarvelComics would scarcely be Marvel Comics without FantasticRacism), the distinction between the two sides is much less clear to the humans, so all Transformers are treated with hostility.

* Exploration of this trope is pretty much the point of the Marvel characters TheVision and [[JackKirby Machine]] [[NextWave Man.]] Good guys treat them like people, while [[FantasticRacism bigots]] treat them like they're JustAMachine. In fairness, they are mistrusted for other reasons too: Vision was built by [[{{Character/Ultron}} a villain]] to use as a [[MechaMooks minion,]] but he [[HeelFaceTurn revolted.]] Aaron Stack the Machine Man was the last of a line of experimental robots, all the others of which went [[CrushKillDestroy homicidally insane;]] Aaron turned out okay because one scientist decided to [[MotherlyScientist raise him as a son.]]

* In ''Series/Extant'' John firmly believes this, and even has a [[RobotKid robot son]] named Ethan, hoping to prove it beyond all doubt. People who dispute it [[BerzerkButton spark him to anger]].