I, Robot
BBC News reports that Japanese scientists have unveiled their most authentic-looking android yet (read about it here). Her name is Repliee Q1. She is the one without the glasses.
Apparently, she appears so realistic that her creators are convinced she could pass for a human, at least for a short time. I presume that means until someone offers to buy her a drink. Or asks her name, for that matter.
One criticism of the article though; never quote the Mr. Japanese scientist word for word.
“Repliee Q1 can interact with people. It can respond to people touching it. It’s very satisfying, although we obviously have a long way to go yet.”
Tee hee.
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Robots. The implications for business? Now THAT will keep one busy for hours on end. We are not even near to the time when, in South Africa, the receptionist at the door is a friendly smiling robot or the director gets served his morning tea by the robot-lady. Nevertheless, speculation is probably in order.
The question that will be on everyone’s mind (in the far future) is whether we stare a massive unemployment surge in the face “when the robots come”. People going out of work because they were replaced by the latest Mark 5 Digi-sense Microsight Personal Filing Assistant? Yes, probably, but wasn’t the same thing asked when those job-killers “the desktop computer” came with all their glamour and processing might? It is not even necessary to show how many millions of jobs were created directly because of computers.
Although computers are simply a “tool” to enhance the effectiveness of existing processes in businesses, someone still needs to program those computers! The entrepreneur still needs to create the ideas and someone needs to fix all those pesky W*ndows problems…
The same will probably apply to robots. Work for humans will become all the more specialized as in today’s world of IT. When mass production sets in, robots will be manufactured competing companies just as Intel and AMD vies for the next superfast unnaturally impressive computer chip. And we know what happens when capitalism starts to make nest! It will be so interesting to see what robots do to the balance of society and the economy in general.
I wonder if I’ll be able to customize my robot to look like the US President?