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Very good article.

I have one comment though about the "common sense" guidelines to building ethical self replicating nanotechnology.

One of them was that self replicators will need to have an artificial source of fuel or in other ways, replication would need to be controlled in the lab, or on the production line, but not in nature by itself.

Although I think in general this would be a good rule, it is completely unavoidable that nanotech that can self replicate in nature will be common place. There will definitely be scenarios where it will be useful that these machines can self replicate in nature.

What we need, when developing these devices is to program some sort of self feedback into them.

For instance, a feedback system where the subunit of the nanotech responsible for replication can be inhibited by a specific concentration of itself. This is how many enzymatic pathways in the body work and it would only make sense to employ this technique in nanotech.

Additionally, in order for nanotech to be under human control and not vice versa, we need to ensure that self replication is 100% accurate.

If the self replicators make mistakes, even 1 out a billion, evolution will take place and we will lose control of the self replicators.

Nanotechnology has incredible potential for good. If used properly nanotech is going to make the 20th century look like the stone age. We will defeat death and disease, achieve ultimate happiness, and enlightenment.

If created carelessly, nanotech could accidentally destroy all of humanity.

If used maliciously, nanotech will certainly destroy all of humanity.

Hopefully the singularity will happen before we start mass production of self replicating nanotech and the super intelligence will be more capable of understanding consequences of certain actions.