How soon will robots replace our children and pets? - By N.L. Belardes

It was a surreal moment. I stood at Wired Nextfest in the dark lights of the Exhibition Hall near a table lined with robots, computers and people. I’d just watched the life-like Hanson Robotics boy robot twitch its simulated facial muscles and stare wide-eyed into the direction of all the people gathered around.

It was a robot zoo. Or maybe a birthing center like the kind you see in hospitals with large windows so you can peer in and see what life has just created.

As I started to walk away amid the buzz and whirl of sound and sight I heard a woman coo. Sure, there were a lot of parents and kids around, but this was weird. It was like the kind of coo you would hear from someone doting over another person’s baby.

I had a camera with me but I just froze. I couldn’t even take a picture because I thought I might ruin the moment. I suddenly felt like I was staring right into the face of one of the greatest ethical dilemmas our society will soon face: the question of whether robots will soon replace our children.

The woman’s own face contorted into a look of coddling pleasure. She looked to be in her mid-40s, with shoulder length brown hair. She was expressive. Zeno, the revolutionary robot friend in the shape of a boy was being talked to in motherly fashion. The woman said something like, “Oh, I think you are so handsome… oh yes I do, look at you… you are adorable…yes you are!”

She responded to every blink, turn of the head, and open-mouthed grimace the toy robot made.

Sure I’ve seen Blade Runner a million times. The final cut is coming out soon. It’s a cult classic that includes life-like robots that may or may not be friends to the creators who developed them. Some of the robots are child-like.

Or AI. Remember that Spielberg flop of a film? It might be time to dust it off, watch it again, and dive into the ethical issues of robots in the image of man, albeit a little man, a kid.

Innocent, right?

I remember meeting the concept developer for AI. He was living right here in Bakersfield. We spoke about the artwork involved, the robotics. The same guy had done all the ideation for Terminator. Nice robot man-killer designer turned friendly fluffy AI designer of all robots friendly to humans: stuffed bears, prostitutes and yes, little boys that can replace the idea of a real boy. Pinocchio in reverse. Make them all out of wood and electrodes...

That idea isn’t as far-fetched as you think. While I’d love to sit here and type a wonderful piece about how all Americans have perfect family values, that just isn’t the case.

Maybe some families would cling to robots more than their gang warfare kids...

And it’s not even a family value issue when discussing moral ethics and whether we as a society should allow life-like robots to replace our children and our pets.

And let’s not forget your cars, jewelry and whatever else you’re obsessively attached to. How hard would it be to be attached to a robot that only cost the amount of a Wii, and that talks to you, wanders around your house, and calls everyone by name it sees with its camera eyes?

And expressive through simulated skin movements. And intuitive.

And no dog poo to clean up, and with its own heat source so that it’s not so cold and lifeless as the recently hailed Robosapien robot toy. And you never have to turn it on or off. And you control it wirelessly. 802.11b friendly as it maneuvers through your house, suddenly, and without warning, a part of your family.

I ask you once again, how soon will robots replace our children and pets?

Watch the expressions on the Zeno prototype:



Related Article: "Future Technologies Move Into Reality-Driven Phase
Wired Nextfest 2007 Reveals User-Friendly Future."

This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. You can leave your response.