Journal Entry # 14

http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jun/27-when-robots-live-among-us

In this article, the writer touches on the fact that we are coming into an age many only thought would exist in movies: the age of the robot. We are already seeing small model robots built and placed in any segment of our house including children’s toys and little rug bots that vacuum the carpet.

This article however poses the brilliant question about what type of effect will robots have on the human connection and need of belonging. As the author articulated, one day, robots may get to the point that they have emotional capabilities. Robots may event evolve the point that they can own property with someone, fulfill parental duties, and even fulfill the sexual roles of intimate companions.

In my eyes, this would be insane and once robots are designed to attempt at procreation or the act of would be a sign that we have truly lost our humanity.

Granted, robots and/or technologies can make things a lot more convenient, but if it can do EVERTHING, that becomes a little disturbing. What’s left for the humans to do? If robots were somehow given the networking capabilities to feel, this would have to be monitored closed because in any technological creation, there can be glitch. These glitches could cause “moral” robots to go get in a car and run over an elderly woman.

There have been advances in sensing emotion from more of the extrinsic environment of it’s surroundings, including where a team is trying to build a robot that senses the moods of its boss in order to learn how to respond.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/12/021216070618.htm

Personally, I would like a person trying to figure out my mood. There may be more percentile wrong in a person’s accuracy, but at least I would know she knows of her imperfections and accepts them.