Belue I MicheleBelue Instructor:Malcolm Campbell English 1103 November 6,2012 Will RobotsEverReplaceHumans? Robot.

What is the first imagethat comesto mind? A cosmicmachinethat builds cars? F.2D2or C-P3Ofrom the infamousStar Ws-nm$es?
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robotthat is featured the movieI, Robot? in humanoid Whether like it or not, o'roboto'is we a term that everyoneis familiar with in our generation. Robotshavebeenslowly integrated into and our media,entertainment, daily lives, beginningin our childhood. Movies like-Thelron -- -.-The Giont, Robots, Incredibles,Wall-\, and Meet The Robinsons andTV showsincluding Ifte

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Jetsons, Little Robots,and,Astroboy involve roboticcharacters naturallyinteractwith Robots, andAstroboy all allinvolverobotic characters who naturally interact g I t :,Jetsons, i q: humansand aretargeted towardyoung children. The majority of thesecharacters personifird :; are

smart, harmless, beneficial society. wegetolder, interests and to asfriendly, As our in genre. entertainment to a moremature shift

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like, and sometimes threatingto our society. Theseconflicting portrayalsof robotsexisting in

mixed feelings,hugecontroversies, manyquestions.When l' y societyjust ashumansdo cause and in robotsbe will robotsbeginto appear our world? Whatwill they look like? Will these t

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In the past few years,our world of technologyhasrapidly evolved. In particular,our havechanged tremendously.Pagers, what the heckarethose? methodsof communication

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Writing lettersthe old fashioned way? Forgetit. Our generation all aboutshootingquick eis mails andtexts or networkingwith friendson websiteslike Facebook Twitter. Smartphones and are designed help peopleinteractquickly with otherswhile multitaskingso they do not miss a to beat. It is impossibleto walk down a steet andnot seeat leastone businessman, girl, or teenage regularJoegluedto their smartphone. IPhones, especially, havetakenover the cell phone industry, well asour lives. In 2Dll,Apple Inc. launched iPhone as the 45. As if theprevious cihh\n g iPhone4 wasnot already capable virtually anythingandeverything, improveddenice,41 of this llL 6o^^on camewith an intelligentpersonal assistant namedSiri. Anyonefamiliar with this application J h,rorlr ll+\ knowsthat it, or shouldI say"she," cantell you anythingyou needto know. Siri is designed to learnthe language voiceof the iPhoneowner,listento his request, quickly respond.If and and your request to find the currentscoreof a footballgame,whatthe weather is will be like in Bostontomorrow,or what you havescheduled your calendar in that day,just ask Siri. You can evencommand to call you by a certainname. Dictionary.comstatsthat the term robot is her definedas"any machineor mechanical devicethat operates automaticallywith humanlikeskill." Siri canlisten,think, andtalk just as humans do. Whetheryou want to cometo the realizationor not, millions of iPhoneownersaroundthe world havelittle robotstuckedin their pockets. Sinceour generation typically picturesrobotsto be 5 feet tall with two ums, legs,a two torso,anda face,viewing Siri asa robotmight be a stretch.However, RodneyBrooks,cofounderof the companyiRobot, who created Roombavacuumingrobot, and founderof his the companyRethink Robots,hasbeenworking on building a robot similar to the onesimaginedby mostpeople.Accordingto'oTheRiseof the RoboticWorkForce,"an articlewrittenby David H. this stronglyresemblingthat of a humano Freedman, humanoidrobot, with a physicalappearance goesby the nameBaxter. Unlike otherginormous,bulky robotsthat are designed do labor for to

Belue3 manufachring companies, (Freedman). Baxter is "powerful, cheap,versatile,and easy-to-set-up" This friendly helperhastwo armswith fingerlike gnppersat the endof eachone,a torso,and a headconsistingof a computerscreen that displaysa line drawing of a face. This screen-based facegoesthrougha rangeof emotions,suchasasleep, neutral,concentrating, focused,surprised, confused, sad. If Baxteris calmly working,its oofacao'shows focused and the expression. If someone suddenlyapproaches, eyesopenin surprise. Baxterwas designed work right the to alongsideemployees, asa safetyfeature,sensors so, wereplacedthroughoutits body to detect gets whenan employee approaching. someone too closeto Barter,he will automatically is If stopperforminghis task and shutoff. While most robotsareprogrammed perfonn one to just ashumans simple,repetitive task,Baxteris capable being"taughlo'multiple of tasks do, leamingeachin just minutes.Baxter'sarmswereintended be guidable hand. This design to by allows the robot to learn a task'smotion with the help of a human,spotthe object,"feel" its way the throughgnpping andmaneuvering object,andrepeatthe motion slightly different eachtime until it hasmastered technique. So,herewe havea robot that looks like a humano the learnsand performstasksefficiently andpossiblybetterthan a human,and is safeto work alongside humans.Is it safeto saythis robot canthink like a human,too? After all, that is a main goal . . humanoidroboticsengineers trying to achieve.In addition,Brooks says,o'Balrter be are can

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and one each-less taken of thebox,setup,trained, putto workin about hour.At $22,000 out

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a\ta f"p1tt\ thantheprice of a minivan-it couldeasilypay for itself in months,savinga company $30,000

ow'I r yeaxor morein laborcostsper robot" (Freedman). This game-changing robotfor manufacturingi'oLo\r - I Co 6ia1 5oo"' tl is companies the definition of a dreamemployee.But could one man'sdreambe anotherman's nightnare? If Brook's ambitiousplan for Baxteris carriedout ashe hopes,theserobotswill robotsin the shoes these of humans millions ofjobs in the U.S. alone. Implementing in replace

Belue4 humanworkerswould cut out costsof insuftrnce, sick pay,andvacationpay. However,would the boostin manufacturing industriesand massive unemployment of U.S. citizenscause rate economicmiracleor mishap? Cantheserobotsreplacehumansin waysotherthan jobs? How will peoplereactto robotsasthey startintegratinginto our world? manufacttuing frq. professorat the Massachusetts ethnographer and Instituteof Technology, warnsagainstit. {o i"lro{rs7 Turklespecifically studies impactof technology society.Sheshares the on with JefferyYoung,'ypNi h'9a. J utl qquQ authorof the article "Programmed Love," that one surnmer the lab at MIT sheexperiencedO for in Ift A{ an emotionalconnectionwith a metallic robot namedCog. Madeto resemble human,with two g vy6of { , a moving armsand a head,this robot wasprogrammed turn toward whoeverwas speaking, to suggesting it understood that what was being said. Surprisingly,"[Turkle] found that shedeeply wantedCog to interactwith her ratherthan with a colleague who wastherethat day. She realizedthis human-lookingmachinewastappinginto a deephumandesireto seeit asalive-as gooda companionasany human"(Young). Sherrysnapped of the emotionalattachment out to the machineand quickly realized, spell Cog had over her was quite serious.After spending the fifteen yearssincethat day studyingthe emergingbreedof "sociablerobots,oo Turkle believesthe growing trend of creatingmachines act as if they werealive andhumancould be detrimental to seductive robotsposingashumans to our society.These couldleadpeopleto placemachines in roles only humansshouldoccupy. Sherrypredictsthat soonrobotswill be designed replace to for workersin nursinghomes,baby-sitchildren,and serveascompanions people. Consequently, people who heavilyrely on humans will develop with robots. Couldthis strongrelationships a in become socialnorm? Turkle goeson to sharehumanto robot interactionssheencountered In in her field research. 2001,roboticsresearchers the MIT artificial-intelligence laboratory I ffJ ceI While somewelcome growingageof robotictechnology, the SherryTurkle,an pt kgf

Belue5 createda robot namedKismet. This humanoidcharacter a metal facewith largeeyes,wide had eyebrows, a mouth that depictedemotionsof surprise,disgust,delight, and severalmore. and WhenKismet encountered first humansubject,the interactionwasa hugesuccess. 9-yearits A old girl who met Kismet displayeda liking to the kind-looking robot by showingit her toys, tryrng to dressit with clothes,andattemptingto clip a microphone it. In fact, most of the to children in the studyloved Kismet, andthey described robot asa friend that liked them back. the Although young childrenhaveimaginaryfriendsandpretendtheir dolls arealive, Turkle argues that "a hugeshift occurswhen dolls areprograrnmed that they seemto haveminds of their so owrl" (Young). Sherisesa valid point: if childrennow havethe ability to play with robotsthat

tt j. ; nr" . a Will children malfunctions, it break child'sheart? can begin choose to making friends with Addi1fv gf "t;[ interact them, with howemotionally actually dll attached ftrV b..o*.? If u *bot
robotsoverotherchildren?If thesesociable robotsbecome instilledin our society, therewill6stl'{' reaction. Patients a lossof human-to-human may feel morecomfortabledisclosingpersonal informationto robotsratherto their doctors,socially awkwardpeoplemight resortto spending time with robotsinsteadof humans, individualsmay chooseto haveintimaterelationships and with robots;after all, computers not commit crimesor haveemotionalbreakdowns. can Although many of us view the ideaof robotseventuallywalking our streets being accepted and we by the world as cfttzy and impossible, forget how cozy and comfortablewe havebecomewith and our smartphones laptops. Insteadof meditatingin our own thoughtsor simply taking in the and intigurng world aroundus, we fum to our smartdevicesto play games competewith see and computeropponents, what is tending on Twittero checkin with Siri to hearwhat we have plannedfor the day. Although we havenot reached point of physically interactingwith the

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Belue6 human-likerobots,we havealreadyaccepted robotsin cyberspace. Perhaps ideaof walking, the talking machines day being integrated one into our societyis not so far-fetched. As artificial intelligence advances, eraof humanoid the robotsbecoming socialnorm in a our societygetscloser. While manyroboticsresearchers confidentin the integrationof are robotsin our world, a hugequestionstill remains:will humansactuallyaccepttheserobotsas protectors, evenscarier, friends,co-workers, otherpeople?Which leadsto a largerinquiry: br, | ft alrl.n

of humans?Mark Halpem,an artificial intelligence computer 56afip(' arerobotscapable replacing and TafV woold Af lr' , , .. robotsshouldnot andwill not be assimilated our culture. l nhis expert,believes into article

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*Military Robotsandthe Redefinition "Autonomy,"o'he of explains socialandethicalissues the Yy that would rise if thatpossibilitywereto become reality. He first examines fictional,yet. /l'n'l the seemingly real,interpretation robotics. In the mid 1900's, of Isaac Asimov,authorof

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el /o'ohC1. fia1bt imaginative literature robots,began on writing science-fiction novelsaboutfuturecivilizationsin f^tnht0n 'toJr tidt which humanoid robotsplay a centralrole. In oneof his infamous Asimov infioduces novels, *. tn Cll6|ugi^e' which includethe following: "First law: A robotmay not injure a "ThreeLawsof Robotics," humanbeing,or, throughinaction,allow a humanbeingto cometo harm,Second law: A robot must obey ordersgiven it by a humanbeing exceptwheresuchorderswould conflict with the as First law, and Third law: A robot mustprotectits own existence long as suchprotectiondoes law" (Halpern).These threelawshavebeenrepeated and not conflictwith the First or Second works of literatureand moviesinvolving sociablerobots,andtherefore implemented countless in havebecomeimplantedin our minds. By giving robotsthe right to theoreticallyprotecthumanso in of we are grantingthem a sense autonomy.If robotswereto actuallybecomeestablished our that evenif robots lives, would we give them the samerights we humanshave? Halpernargues prevalentin society,humanswould not consent robotswatchingtheir children, to become

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protectingthem with armedweapons, driving vehiclesin traffic. He alsoaddsthat humansare or too practicalto trust a brainless machinewith the lives of their loved oneg(Halpern). However, have advanced researchers beenworkingon robotsthat arenot brainless all. AI at fuA"k

Ut-n ,l\t offffi'O Amassive obstacle that hasbeenstarringhumanoidroboticsengineers the facefor in ,rrl " ' long time is the uncertaintyof humanacceptance. orderfor a humanto accepta robot * * lr a 1fi112 In ytalbe no L individual,it muststronglyresemble humans be ableto interactwith humans natural, (1rf_ and in a J^:til.] meaningful ways. Accordingto Inlportal.inl.gov, official siteof the IdahoNational the Laboratory which is sponsored the U.S. Deparfinentof Energy,suchrobotsare on their way by to existence.In their article "HumanoidRobots,"they identify the following areas research of to the that are essential createthe perfecthumanoidrobot: perception, robot's ability to see,taste, interaction, which dealswith how therobotwill efficientlyand hear,andsmell;human-robot

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believeif they designa robot that excelsin or coffeeo performingsurgery.Researchers / nourine peoplewill haveno choicebut to acceptthem into society. The article shares ail of theseareas, informationon a few robotsthat havealreadybeenbuilt andtestedthat arealreadyprogressing at to reachthis ideal stage. WABOT:-I,a humanoidrobot that was designed the Waseda vision system,and conversation system. University in Tokyo, had limb-control system, and distances and with a personin Japanese measure "WABOT:-I was ableto communicate artificial earsand eyes,and an artificial mouth. The directionsto objectsusing receptors, WABOT-I walkedwith its lower limbs andwas ableto grip andtransportobjectswith touch

I locomotion,the robot's ability to walk up stairs,steepinclines,and over uneventerrain; and arm I I I control,the robot's aptitudeto manipulateits armsandhandsto perform taskssuchaswriting,
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changes; legged /useful in everydaysettingsandhow well they adaptto environmental

with humans;learningandadaptingbehavior,the way robotswill be accuratelycommunicate

Belue8 sensitivehands. At the time, it was estimated the WABOT-I hadthe mentalfaculty of a onethat and-half-year-old child" ("HumanoidRobots"). Otherimpressive robotshavebeenprogrammed to walk overrough,uneven terrain,kick a soccer ball, climb a flight of stairs, a screwdriver, use juggle, andreferto peopleby their rulmes.Is it possible we will eventuallv that find ourselves or by surpassed displaced our own creations? the rateof advanced If artificial intelligence , l continues increase, to these dreamrobotswill soonbecome reality. J

.:n , t ^J(lut For generations, ideaof futuristic robotsliving and interactingwith humanshasbeen the

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instilled in moviesandliterature.Someview it asa sci-fi fantasy that our societywill neverreach,while othersrcalizeit is inevitable quickly approaching. moreour daily technology and The advances, the morecomfortable getwith spending we time with devices ratherthanotherhumanbeings.In if our generation, you do not havea smartphone,laptop,or up-to-date electronic device,you will not staycaughtup in the world. Our mediq education, sociallives depend devices and on that areefficient,fast,andadaptable our daily lives. Althoughthese to sociable, humanoid robotsare created a new kind of 'tool" for humans, as ratherthanreplacing them,their motives, abilities, andpotentialfuture in our societyremaina mystery.

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WorksCited David H. uTheRiseOf The RoboticWork Force."Inc 34.8 Q0l2'l:76. MasterFILE Freedman, Cornplete. Web.9 Oct. 2012. HalpettuMark. 'Military RobotsAnd The RedefinitionOf "Autonomy." Yocabulq Reviewll.l2 (2009): l-12. Literary Reference CenterP/ns.Web. 17 Oct. 2012. "HumanoidRobotics."Idaho Natiorwl Library. U.S. Deparhent of Energy.Web. 15 Oct. 2012. "Robot I Define Robotat Dictionary.com."Dictionary.comI Find theMeaningsand Definitions of Words Dictiorury.com.Web.20 at Oct. 2012. Yormg,Jeffiey R "Programmed Love." TheChronicleof Higher Education 14 Jan.2011. for Web.7 Oct.20l2.