I was listening to On Point with Tom Ashbrook on NPR today, and he was speaking with the CEO of iRobot. The discussion hovered around the advancement of robotics through today, and the impact of those advancements on the working man.
The experts and pro-roboticists felt robots definitely had and have had a place, particularly in the medical and automotive field as being the silent aid in human endevours. Although not necessarily as a substitute or an successor.
On the other side were those who just didn't feel secure in robots having untethered control. The key arguement being, that robot hadn't evolved the decision making engine commesurate to the human mind. For example, a robot can't discern between an eight-month-old baby crying because it's hungry versus crying because it's tired. Humans have a hard enough time figuring that out, but we learn.
Being a sci-fi dude, I have a healthy respect for both sides of the coin. However, to the guest's other point, I also see a gradually shift to robotics being common place. More man and machine merging over time, until we go the full cyborg (if ever) rather than a flip of the switch. I see it more like cosmetic surgery. The early adopters will be those who can afford it, or due to injury or disability, need it.
Integrated robotics will start out as a luxury and novelty, not unlike the mobile phone. Then it will become so integrated with society, that after economies of scale and productivity are met, we won't be able to live without it.
No comments:
Post a Comment