In class a few weeks ago we started discussing social robots and their integration into society. It is a topic that is really fun to talk about and let your imagination run wild - and ended me bringing it up to a few of my housemates. It wasn't until an hour or so down the rabbit hole did I stop to ask, how far is too far? Robot bartenders, robot desk attendants, robot nurses, robot child assistance, robot companions and so many more.
The capabilities of these bots are amazing - mimicking and reading the social cues given by those around them to determine what emotive reaction they should have. Being able to recognize eye contact and adapt to people's reactions, social bots have an amazingly capable future ahead of them.
Even so, at what point does our interaction with them cross the line? Human to human connection is such a vital part of our lives, and replace it surely will have some sort of consequence... Emotional? Social? Ethical? The next few years will be key to finding the correct balance and figuring out the do's and don'ts.
Check out this interesting article about the dawn of social robots if you want to read a little bit more on the progress thus far!
Comments