Will Robotics Be The Assist Humanity Needs Or Are They Our Eventual Downfall

The Future Is Now Nearly Here

It’s easy to say the future is now because with every technological achievement once deemed impossible, we sometimes feel like we are living in the future. What does the future of humanity look like as we grow nearer to some of the tech advancements imagined in science fiction movies? Will it be a prosperous future or a dystopian world of our design? It will involve robotics.

Robotics remains a fairly new revolution in the digital world. Human jobs have been made easier through the use of robots. To think of it differently, robots have filled jobs traditionally held by humans.

Robotics is already widely used in some industries. The technology is used in manufacturing, laboratories, controlling traffic, research, and in carrying out search operations and in military missions. It won’t be of any surprise when we see robots on the front lines in armed conflicts someday, such as we are seeing in Ukraine today.

Robotics And AI

Robots are machines or mechanical people that are designed to assist us with labor-intensive and complicated tasks. These robots are more than just mechanically designed assistants and will continue to evolve with time and the advancement of technologies. AI developments have induced evolution and more capacity in our current-day robots. Imagine the greater good that can be discovered in any industry by the combination of robots with AI.

Someday, in a not-so-distant future, small droids or robots like R2-D2 may be able to accompany us all on our daily grind. R2-D2 was able to open security doors, communicate with other systems, retrieve information, and even help in doing repairs on the X-wing fighters and the Millenium Falcon. With continued advancements in the field of robotics and the eventual merging of robotics with artificial intelligence, the possibilities are endless.

The Advantages Of Robotics

When we think about the advantages of robotics it is hard not to imagine the most beneficial parts of life that could be improved by robotics. Looking at robotic technologies, imagine the future of the prosthetics market.

At CES 2020, Delta Airlines showcased an exoskeleton that can boost the strength and endurance of the human body. This would allow humans to achieve even greater amounts of production and take the strain off of the natural limits of human anatomy.

Imagine the other potential this type of robotics holds.

Not quite at the level of Anakin Skywalkers’, or his son Luke’s, prosthetic replacement hand, the advancements in robotics may one day allow for our soldiers to be returned to being fully functioning after the horrors of war. Too many young men and women have gone to war, fighting for our freedom, and come back having made a sacrifice in the line of duty that cost them an arm, leg, or both. Through neuro-engineering and robotics, there may come a time sooner than we imagine, when those limbs can be replaced and those people's lives can be returned to near normal.

Hanson Robotics’ most impressive human-like robot personifies our dreams of what robots are and the dreams for the future of artificial intelligence. She’s a unique combination of artistry, engineering, and science.

The character of Sophia captures the imagination of global audiences. She is the world's first citizen robot and the first robotic ambassador to the United Nations Development Program. She’s charming, witty, and a household name after having made appearances on the Tonight Show and having met Will Smith in what was an intriguing dialogue between Sophia and the star of I Robot.

I am Hanson Robotics’ latest human-like robot, created by combining our innovations in science, engineering and artistry. Think of me as a personification of our dreams for the future of AI, as well as a framework for advanced AI and robotics research, and an agent for exploring human-robot experience in service and entertainment applications.

In some ways, I am human-crafted science fiction character depicting where AI and robotics are heading. In other ways, I am real science, springing from the serious engineering and science research and accomplishments of an inspired team of robotics & AI scientists and designers. In their grand ambitious, my creators aspire to achieve true AI sentience. Who knows? With my science evolving so quickly, even many of my wildest fictional dreams may become reality someday soon.

— Sophia the robot

Disadvantages Of Robots

Could robots be a bad thing at some point in our future? If they don’t replace human interaction entirely, put humans all out of work, or bring about the downfall of the human race, then we should be alright.

Over the last 35 years there have been many uses of the example of robots turning against humanity, being against humanity, and just being evil. When you consider that robots are created by man, programmed by man, and mans’ imperfections then the possibility exists that robotics could come back to haunt us.

James Cameron showed us an extreme version of what robotics birthed with A.I. could mean for the human race if they are allowed to progress on their own, unchecked by the laws of robotics. Our robots are supposed to follow the rules of robotics. Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws Of Robotics Are:

• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
• A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
• A robot must protect its existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

So, how might robotics be against our best interest? Other than rising up and becoming the dominant overlords of the planet, they could begin filling needs traditionally suited There exists a need in mankind to do things before we’re ready. Becoming ever more dependent on Robotics to further the goals we set can make us complacent. If we aren’t ready to enjoy a coexistence with robots, instead of overusing them to our advantage, then we are likely to abuse the technology as much as any other advancements we have achieved up to now.

Robots may overly simplify certain aspects of human existence and the human experience. For instance, love and companionship.

Unfortunately, for many people, this might be an option. Sex robots. For those that aren’t comfortable in the dating pool, talking to the opposite sex, or don’t want to put out the effort in the middle of the million other things they have to do, the idea of a robotic companion that takes care of your needs may seem appealing. However, this isn't the simple case of a woman picking up a toy with a new D-cell Energizer inside it, this is replacing the entire person that we sometimes wish we had in our lives. It’s the ultimate answer to being stuck as a single individual in a world full of couples.

When we get so engrossed in taking shortcuts to find happiness we may find that robotics, as fun as it might seem, can be harmful to the human experience in some respects. By creating a market that replaces the need for human companionship and comfort, we create a market that could eventually hinder propagating the species. That’s when we’re truly doomed.

Yes, robotics could be a double-edged sword in the hands of humankind. Using the sexbots that are already going to market for those that can order one and make the deposits is just a way to illustrate one example. There are many others. A high-powered robot in the hands of the wrong individual could become dangerous. Robotic programming is the programmed intention of flawed humans that will start as their masters. When robots have completely replaced humans in the workforce, many years from now, what’s to become of humanity’s need to thrive.

Thoughts On Robots

Adopting AI is like “summoning the demon”.

— Elon Musk

We are living in the future, the future we imagined when we were kids, as we see all the incredible advancements and that of those still to come. Right over the horizon of time exists the possibility that we may be able to replace a lonely Saturday night with a robot companion. At the end of the day, the need for robots should stop at the need shown by humankind.

When we consider what robots can do, certain aspects are going to be detrimental to the human experience. Robots are going to be used to continually replace the cost of human labor. This will eliminate the ability to think on the “fly” in certain professions.

Imagine a robotic pilot. Would one be able to imagine a possible landing in a river as a safe way to get everyone down alive? What about a robotic police officer? Sure, to some this may sound like a great idea. But, what about the unheard-of stories about times cops used their discretionary powers to cut someone a break, or stepped into the middle of the fray and talked to someone when others might have gone for their weapons.

Someday a robot may make a salad for me at a restaurant. It may be artificially intelligent enough for me to respond with a thank you and it understand. But, even something small being done to eliminate the need for a waitress is going to cost us some of the human experience.

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