Discard the word “robot,” coined by Karel Capek in the play “RUR.” If you search for another name for the machines that will increasingly do manual labor, operate and direct interactions between people and institutions, perform domestic services, fight our wars, take care of children and seniors, clean up our messes, and so on, the most apt word may be “slave.” They are not free; they are owned, and they have none of the rights we associate with free human beings.
In coming years some of these slaves will even be living systems, made out of DNA, that will perform tasks deemed too hazardous for humans, such as cleaning up toxic waste. Others, deliberately made to resemble humans, will be companions and teachers of children. Some will even be chimeras made up partly of human cells. These will increasingly generate controversies about the extent of their humanity, if any, and what that might entitle them to. And, increasingly, they will be self-reproducing.
The capabilities of computers have expanded beyond the merely physical for some time now. Computer scientists and software programmers are increasingly outfitting the machines with emotional qualities, both in terms of conveying emotions and detecting them. Companies are already making use of computer software that detects when a person on hold is getting annoyed. Amtrak has an avatar named Julie that takes reservations, all the while putting human-like emotions into “her” voice. A group of computer scientists in South Korea is focusing on the essence of robots, rather than just their functionality. The researchers have developed software that gives robots the ability to feel emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger and fear, along with the abilities to reason and desire. Scientists at the University of Reading in England have developed the Perspex method of writing computer programs that enables computers to recover from illness and injury, much as humans do. In other words, computers that lose data and suffer damages would continue to develop their capabilities despite, or because of, the rigors of living in the world.
InnovationWatch
