Trusting Robots: Danger or Opportunity?
Did you know that now in 2020 we coexist with more than 9 million robots?
Robots play an important role for different industry sectors. The top five industries using this technology are healthcare, agriculture, military, manufacturing, and food preparation.
But let’s start from the beginning. When did we start thinking about robots?
In 1940, the robot appeared on a TV commercial as a utopist butler machine that can help you doing everything in the house. 70 years later, the dream is becoming a reality!
Fast forward to 1961, engineers began developing their first revolutionary robotics creation: a machine capable of pouring whiskey using only its mechanical arm. That means that if a robot can be programmed to do specific actions, they might be able to improve processes in the workplace. General Motors embraced this and became one of the first companies to introduce robots in their plants.
In 1981, Japan replaced some workers in its manufacturing sector with 6,000 machines. Meanwhile, the UK was attempting to keep up in the tech race, but high unemployment (10%) prevented any real progression. The UK lagged behind with a mere 370 robots.
But, if robots are going to help humans with automatic work, they need to start thinking for themselves.
Here we go people, welcome to Artificial Intelligence - AI.
Engineers and researchers began to develop a disruptive technology that enables computers to learn from data gathered from their environment. The computers would then transmit signals to a robot in order for it to adapt.
The Stanford Research Institute (SRI) gave birth to the first AI software. The software instructed a robot to move around a room on its own and detect obstacles with 360-degree sensors. The robot would eventually learn how to get from Point A to Point B.
A few years later, the IBM supercomputer known as “Deep Blue” won a chess match with Garry Kasparov, world chess champion. The victory symbolized a milestone: Artificial Intelligence is catching up with human intelligence.
But you may ask, how is AI affecting the modern world? What are the benefits of this technology? What are the drawbacks? Scientists and engineers around the world were racing to find out.
Often, there is a negative connotation associated with AI and robots. Mostly because, as humans, we are afraid of what we don’t understand and don’t know:
“What if machines will take control over the master?”. We perceive technology as evil.
Let’s examine AI in different industries.
In the US military, AI is used to prevent the deaths of American soldiers. In 2001, the US military sent intelligence drones to isolated parts of Afghanistan for reconnaissance missions. Weapons are clearly becoming more sophisticated than ever and it can be scary. There is an increasing number of robots that carry weapons. In 2018, a US military veteran revealed that the military is developing AI software to pilot the drones into violent missions.
The US army tested self-driving tanks, but the autonomous machines must overcome the hurdle of differentiating between subtle human behaviors. For now, robots and humans are working side-by-side. Yet, technologists do seem to be in a race to create robots that can surpass us even at the very things that make us uniquely human.
Even some of the most sought-after jobs on Wall Street may not be safe. The number of people employed in the finance industry around the world is expected to drop by up to 1.7 million over the next ten years. Human traders are no match for AI capable of analyzing vast amounts of data.
Moreover, autonomous cars are popping up faster than ever! In December 2018, Google came out with the first driverless taxis. The car can see the world in 3D using its cameras and sensors to detect obstacles and traffic on the road. The computer analyzes data and transmits split seconds decisions to the car!
Tesla and Uber are committed to incorporating the same technology in their businesses. Right now, there are approximately 1,400 self-driving cars on American roads – with a near-zero count of accidents! Is it possible that robots will make the roads safer than humans? By 2030, the US is expected to have 20 million autonomous vehicles. But, for the 3.5 million American truckers, driverless vehicles mean trouble. Their jobs are in jeopardy and they may not be the only ones.
An astonishing 72% of Americans are worried about losing their jobs to robots. In China, more than two million workers were replaced by robots between 2013 and 2015. In healthcare, AI has resulted in an outstanding increase in efficiency and minimization of human errors during surgeries. However, 69% of Americans said that to feel uncomfortable with robotic surgeons.
Robots seem to be coming for everyone's jobs.
In traditional Japanese culture, man-made objects are viewed as creations of life to coexist with. That is reflected by the roughly 300,000 robots that interact with humans on a regular basis.
They are designed to be friendly and responsive, tackling the problem of loneliness in human life. In 2013, a robotic companion was sent to space to accompany an astronaut that was stationed for 18 months! Robots might even be able to teach humans to better understand our own emotion.
Robots are definitely making our lives easier, but how much everyday human function do we want to outsource to robots?
What happens when the AI controlling our robots begins to outsmart us? This hypothetical tipping point is known as “the singularity”.
I will revert back to my opening statement and conclude with a question: what impact will robots have on our society?
