We Have Nothing to Fear But…

A UK-based paper published an article discussing the possibility of robots eventually overthrowing mankind.  Because of a debate raised by scientists at The Science Museum, the issue has been given some light.

So then that brings me to my question:  Should we be worried?

As of today, robots are used mainly in scenarios that are too dangerous or tedious for humans.  Many aspects of production now rely on robots, and that seems safe.  Mechanical arms are unlikely to be programmed to think for themselves or harm anyone.

Yet, the Korean military is developing robots programmed to shoot individuals on sight, the Japanese are attempting to create child-raising robots and the U.S. military is developing robotic helicopters that are programmed to kill as well.

How far is too far?  Should we play God by creating a race (likely in our own image) that could eventually deny us as their masters and creators?  Really, who could we trust to program machines like this?  Clearly, man has never known limits before, but then again, man rarely considers the consequences.

 

What’s your flavor?

Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn and her team from the University of Hertfordshire Science and Technology Research Institute have conducted a study regarding people and the robot companion they choose.

The project was an investigation on people and what type of robot they would prefer to interact with and in what manner.  For their study, the team looked at two very broad personality types–extroverted and introverted.  Their thery is that robots should not be build and then have programs applied to them prior to placement, but rather that people should be involved with the building of robots they are going to interact with.

Their findings have shown that people with extrovert type personalities prefer humanoid robots whereas introverts tend to lean toward more machanical looking models.