Robotics is a fast developing industry. Developments in this industry again and again make our life easers with new applications. Nowadays, robots are becoming more advanced and are they able to take over tasks humans would normally perform. This leads to profound automation. At the same time, a discussion has started about how far robotics can and should go. Is it responsible to use robots? Mistakes made could be crucial, because sometimes human lives depend on it. We can state that the revolution of robotics has begun, and that there is no way back.
These days robots are being used for a wide variety of tasks. From drones in the army to very accurate incisions during operations in a hospital and from robots on planet Mars to self-driving lawnmowers, we see robots everywhere. Robots can work very efficiently and accurately and where humans have to take a break to rest or eat, robots don’t have to. The world is used to life with robots and we can state that we can’t do it without robots anymore.
The expectation is that there will be very intelligent robots in 2030, who are even capable of making decisions on their own. (Veltenaar, 2015). At the moment the prediction is that in 2050 robots are as intelligent as humans. This brings us to the other side of the developments. A robot will lead to a decrease in employment because it is cheaper and it can work 24 hours a day. The balance between capital and labour will be disrupted by robotics. Wealth will especially end up at the rich and the highly educated people. (Technologische Ontwikkeling, 2014) (Wetenschap, 2015) (z24, 2014)
The big question is how far robots will take over the world in the future. I think that technology will take over the humans and that there might be no turning back. If in 2030 robots will be more intelligent than humans and will make decisions on their own, a chance exists that they will take the wrong decisions. The moment an algorithm is written, there is no way to turn it off. One won’t know what this algorithm is planning to do, because it lives a life on its own once it is written. There might be a chance robots attack humans of that they want to have control over our lives at some point. If this really turn out to be so, humans will turn out to be robots, controlled by the robots. The fact that robots do not have feeling will not stop them from taking over the world or have mercy with humans.
The application of robots in the army are concerning. Nowadays, drones help in warzones like Syria to provide more safety, without the risk that human soldiers get hurt. However, if robots will be more developed they could possibly be a danger themselves. An army of robots that can make their own decisions can turn out pretty horrible. Ground wars will be decided on which country has the best robot army and more developed war robots will only lead to bigger wars.
My vision is supported by Elon Musk. This is the CEO of Tesla Motors and market leader in the industry of electrical cars, as well as the founder of SpaceX. Elon Musk is worried, he said ‘Science has to be very careful if robots are going to be connected to humans. We have to worry that we should not be tempted to do something very stupid’. In another interview he said ‘artificial intelligence could be more dangerous than a nuclear bomb’. This all sound very extreme, but it indicates that robotics has a downside as well. (Musk 2014)
This vision may be a slightly exaggerated kind of nightmare, but still humans have to be aware of the robots we are creating. I still think that robots will make our lives much easier, because there are also many good applications of them. For example, the home care robot which makes live of the elder people in the society much easers. This robot is a rollator, a reminder and many other functions in one. What do you think robots turn out to be?
‘Ruud Veltenaar’ (2015) accessed on 10/8/2016 via http://www.ruudveltenaar.nl/robotica-technologie-in-actie/
‘Technologische Ontwikkeling (2014)’ accessed on 10/8/2016 via http://www.technologischeontwikkeling.nl/robotica/ontwikkeling-robotica-biedt-nederland-kansen
‘Wetenschap’ (2015) accessed on 10/8/2016 via http://wetenschap.infonu.nl/techniek/144129-de-nieuwe-technologie-een-zegen-of-een-vloek.html
‘z24’ (2014) accessed on 10/8/2016 via http://www.z24.nl/ondernemen/asscher-automatisering-en-robot-zorgen-voor-toekomstige-werkloosheid-500074
Hi Tim,
Great topic! I am honestly scared for the future dependancy on technology. Maybe we could not bear to go a day without it. An excellent example of what could come to be is the Disney film Wall-E (Morris, 2008). In this film, society is falling apart and the humans are depending on robots to rebuild it. On a smaller scale, this could start in the homes across the world. Simple things such as getting up from the couch to make dinner and cleaning the house keep us active and moving. If robots complete all of these tasks ,what will make us move from the couch and stay active? Our dependence on robots will cause huge changes in society, and most definitely not for the better human interaction and development is a must for survival. What is your view on this threat?
Greets,
Roland