Advanced robots, artificial intelligence, drones, and exoskeletons: Is the Humanity’s future being assembled in laboratories?
Since Plato named “kubernêtikê », the fact of sailing a boat thanks to its rudder, the word has evolved in
a parallel to the advances in technology.
Today’s shortlist of robotic entity is quite limited, whereas growing
rapidly but the ambition and possibilities of some programs are such that they open
a clear window of what could be our future.
And that revolution is almost as exciting as worrying.
The word “robot” would come from the Polish “Robotnik”, translated by
“slave” or “devoted worker”.
Robotics is already serving Humanity in different economic sectors and
we can see and use some of them even without knowing that they are the first
wave of robotic presence.
We can see them in Industry (car robot-painters for example), the Household
market (the new smart mower or hoover), the Medical sector (some surgeries entirely
carried out by robots are tested today), space and science (probes, satellites,
laboratories) and of course, the military programs.
So, let’s see on how military and space robotic projects and programs
could change our future.
Atlas, a humanoid robot developed by US Boston Dynamics, one of the most
famous Pentagon’s military contractors, is today the closest to a classic human
body.
In addition, it is stronger, more resistant and suitable for mass
production.
The idea of the Pentagon is to see in a medium to long term those types
of robots in support of infantry units in some situations where real human beings
would be killed (KIA).
The other revolutionary concept is “big dog”, coming from the same lab.
The concept of this “robot horse” is based on cheetah’s movements and
answer the eternal military problem of logistics in the chaos of war where
vehicles can’t go.
The “big dog” can carry 150kg of equipment an incline of 35 degrees for 20
kilometers.
Unlike the previous examples, Asimo, the jewel of Honda, is not destined
to serve the Human’s destruction side, but to help and assist a vast range of
customers, from the housewife to medical teams or even in education.
Those three projects are the ambassadors of the next robot generation,
the second wave, extremely capable, getting closer to their first model, the human
beings.
Think of the possibilities of this new market in a near future, think
about all our needs and you could understand the huge global demand for it, as
a complete new sector.
AI: for what?
To work, these robots need the most potentially revolutionary and risky
thing ever created, called Artificial Intelligence (AI), only developed in laboratories.
As robots, the first versions are already present in our lives.
When you book a hotel, when you speak to your smartphone or if you have
a GPS in your car, you are using common AI protocols, quite limited but efficient
enough for today’s life.
The point today is to create real human brain.
Last July, MIT developed an AI project (ConceptNet 4), which corresponds
after tests to a four year old child’s brain.
Consequently, NASA is expecting a lot of those projects, to launch spatial
missions towards universe which will be completely self-sufficient in energy
and self directed by an internal high AI brain.
Could
you be ready to work, to think, and to live with them?
Julien
Fueyo
Hi Julien !
ReplyDeleteI've found your article really interesting and it helps us to learn more about robots because as far as I am concerned, I was not a specialist in this subject. I think it is hard to believe that one day everything could be replaced by robots even if the revolution is coming. Indeed, you are right concerning GPS and smartphones, we are living with robots or artificial intelligence without us realizing it !
Concerning chirurgical operations made at 100% by robots, it's a bit freaking ! Of course it would reduce human errors but to me zero risk does not exist even if the "surgeon" is a robot.
Nonetheless, the development of those technologies can have a real impact on the job market because it will replace human being (cashier, surgeon, nurse, childcare and personal care assistants for instance)
To conclude, I am not ready to live with them everyday. It could be a great experience but I cannot help imagine that one day robots would run the world and I find this idea terrifying !
Karen.
Hi Karen,
DeleteThanks for your comment, I was quiet sure that it will not interesting anyone, too busy in their little present reality to think to their future.
So let's talk about one of the most expected tool to come.
You have used a perfect word by talking of "revolution" and I will add "Cybern-revolution" to qualify with what our childs and their childs are going to grow, to leave and to work.
In our time, our short life on Earth, we will probably not see a cybern-revolution as a perfect human reproduction but we are living now the beginning of this new era.
Before be operated at 100% by a robot or go shopping with them hanging the numerous bags of your raid, some years will be spent.
First, you will see them in TV reports, accomplishing mission for what they have been created: The defense of countries having enough money to finance their hugely expensive programs.
You are absolutely right by saying it will be risky sometimes but the perspectives for the entire Humanity are absolutely unlimited, unlike today with their multi-task perfection.
Imagine the settlement in Moon, Mars and scientific expeditions beyond the solar system, even beyond our milky way or in the deepest trenches of Pacific Ocean...
The space is one of the hugest opportunities of Cyber-revolution.
But imagine all the today situations where the being human is unable to do something (natural disasters, mined zone in Africa, Australian forest wildfires, Fukushima dead zone, etc...)
Imagine all the possibilities... and you will not sleeping again, but this time, for the positive points of such revolution.
J.F
Hi Julien,
ReplyDeleteYour article is really interesting as it really draws what our future will be.
I'm not using any conditional here because i really believe it is not a question of possibility but more a matter of time regarding a future with great interaction between human and advanced robots.
As evidence of that, we can observe the current boom of the drone market in Europe and more particularly in France, well-known for its aeronautical engineering!
Then, regarding your question "Could you be ready to work, to think, and to live with them? ": my answer would be that we already do so, at some extent.
Pierre M.
Hello Pierre:
DeleteThanks for your comment. As you said, many changes are going to happen and our generation will surely have to deal with this new entities but the question is:
Does this revolution has limits?
Until where the being human is ready to go to create artificial assistance?
Indeed, science fiction has developed some possible catastrophic scenarios in the future, linked to the inability of the being human to control artificial intelligence created by himself.
These (very serious) scenarios are called "the Terminator hypothesis".
It's a classic in literacy: the fear of the technology.
But today and in a next future, the philosophic question should be asked:
«Cybernetic, support or threat? »
J.F