
TagRobots


What to make of Erica, the AI Superstar Robot?
I have a hard time conceiving of a way that this film could be successful without a little bit of cheating.An AI super star? In case sci-fi fans haven’t heard, there is a new actress on the block. Her name is Erica and she is a… robot. According to the Hollywood Reporter Erica will star in a sci-fi film called b, “b follows a scientist who discovers dangers associated with a program he created to perfect human DNA and helps the artificially intelligent woman he designed (Erica) escape.” A part of me chuckles, thinking of the creepy uncanny valley Youtube videos of failed attempts at human-like robotics. However, robotics doesn’t seem to be the center of attention here. As Hollywood Reporter also reports, b is, “a $70 million science fiction film which producers say will be the first to rely Read More ›

A Philosopher Explains Why Thinking Matter Is Impossible
He’s right but Captain Kirk tumbled to it before him. So did a medieval poetAccording to analytical philosopher Richard Johns, we cannot represent ourselves completely mathematically so we cannot generate fundamentally contradictory thoughts about ourselves. Some part of us lies beyond mathematics. An android would not be so lucky, as Captain Kirk realized in an early Star Trek episode.
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Robots Move? Tax Them!
Some policymakers see robots as a direct threat to jobs and hope taxes will slow them downJay Richards asks: Just imagine if our government had taxed earlier technological innovations because they threatened jobs. Does anyone think a targeted “tractor tax” would have been a good idea in the early twentieth century?
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How Far Have We Come With Giving Robots Feelings?
Pretty far, in our own imaginationAt times, we may think a more powerful illusion is a good enough substitute for reality.
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Will Plausible Robots Replace Movie Stars?
A short film prepares us to think about itDo I believe AI will be emotionally indistinguishable from human connection? No, personally I don’t. Nonetheless, I loved the short film. It was simple but very well-executed. If you’re looking for a short but thought-provoking film about AI to give your mind something to chew on over the weekend, I would highly recommend Sprites.
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Jay Richards: Prepare For AI, But Don’t Panic — Part II
Will machines take over human jobs? Larry L. Linenschmidt discusses Artificial Intelligence, job displacement, and collaboration using technology with Jay Richards. This interview is about Jay’s book, The Human Advantage: The Future of American Work in an Age of Smart Machines. This interview was originally aired by the Hill Country Institute and is included here in its entirety. This rebroadcast Read More ›

Are Robot Pastors the Answer to Religion’s Decline?
Many Christians say no. Some Buddhists say yes. What is expected of the pastor?
The Three Laws of Robotics Have Failed the Robots
Almost no one out there thinks that Isaac Asimov's Three Laws could work for truly intelligent AI
Tell Kids the Robot Is “It,” Not “He”
Teaching children to understand AI and robotics is part of a good education todayWe are not truly likely to be ruled by AI overlords (as opposed to powerful people using AI. But even doubtful predictions may be self-fulfilling if enough impressionable people come to believe them. Children, for example. We adults are aware of the limitations of AI. But if we talk about AI devices as if they were people, children—who often imbue even stuffed toys with complex personalities—may be easily confused. Sue Shellenbarger, Work & Family columnist at The Wall Street Journal, warns that already, “Many children think robots are smarter than humans or imbue them with magical powers.” While she admits that the “long-term consequences” are still unclear, “an expanding body of research” suggests we need to train children to draw Read More ›

Fake News Thrives on Fears of a Robot Takeover
The motion graphics artist tried to explain that he faked the amazing robot videoThe convincing film was great for Tom’s Twitter feed but less great for what it says about our judgment as viewers. We believe too much AI hype.
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We Can Imagine Robots That Think and Feel
But does that make them more likely?If Shakespeare is right about imagination, Sophia will certainly break some hearts.
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Swarm Printing: Are AI Robots Tomorrow’s Construction Workers?
Robotic swarms specially adapted to operate in austere environments could be useful responses to natural and manmade disastersWhile many traditional construction jobs will be lost, others will be created. Someone will need to design, build, service, and repair the robots.
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Jay Richards: Creative Freedom, Not Robots, Is the Future of Work
In an information economy, there will be a place where the human person is at the very centerThe Officially Smart people are telling us two scenarios, good and bad, about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), says Jay Richards, a research professor at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America. He disagrees with both.
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Military Technology and AI
Past, Present, and FutureTechnology, including AI, needs protection. Intellectual property of corporations needs protected from espionage. Military technology needs protection from foreign agents. Show Notes 01:10 | Introduction; Daniel M. Ogden, J.D. 02:20 | Technology in the military history 08:00 | WWII technology; Norton Gun Site 12:20 | Banning AI autonomous weapons 16:48 | Slaughterbots 18:13 | Military AI endgame 18:55 | Other Read More ›

6: AI Can Even Exploit Loopholes in the Code!
AI adopts a solution in an allowed set, maybe not the one you expected
9: Will That Army Robot Squid Ever Be “Self-Aware”?
AI help, not hype: What would it take for a robot to be self-aware?
Forecasting About the Future
Deconstructing Yuval Harari’s Silly Forecast of AI’s Future Impact: Part twoWill A.I. ultimately make free market economics obsolete and destroy democracy in favor of digital dictatorships? Well, forecasting, “especially about the future”, is hard. Jay Richards returns to further discuss Yuval Harari’s prognosticating and along the way gives reason to hope for a far more promising future, grounded in the resilient and reinventing human self. Show Notes References and Resources

Slaughterbots
Is it ethical to develop a swarm of killer AI drones?