Industrial Control Designline Blog
Industrial engineers: Future world overlords?
Rich Pell
8/26/2008 1:47 PM EDT
However, says robotics and artificial intelligence expert Noel Sharkey in a recent report "2084: Big robot is watching you," it's not the robots that we'll have to fear, but the humans who control them. In a timeline to 2084 of future developments in robot policing he predicts that we'll eventually see advanced "squidgy" humanoid robots that will appear almost human and have beyond human capabilities including "speed of process, being able to run faster than humans, and deformable bodies."
But even by 2084, he concludes, although robots will have "considerable autonomy," humans will still be required for critical judgments about the nature of data, and that "artificial intelligence will not be producing robot detectives." However, Sharkey, who is based in the "current surveillance society" of the UK, doesn't necessarily find this comforting:
I am not talking about super-intelligent robots taking over the world. I am talking about dumb quasi-autonomous mobile machines moving through our lives in an unprecedented way; machines that may be under control of governments and police or even the local utility companies.
In other words, "those in control of the machines will control society." Sound like anyone you know?
Comments, questions or suggestions? Email me at rich.pell@verizon.net.
Related links:
10 things you don't know about robots
Robots vs. Man (and other Robots)
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prabhakar_deosthali
12/29/2010 1:21 AM EST
One good thing about these Robotic machines performing all kind of policing and utility functions will be that these machines cannot be bribed. They will do their duty as programmed without any deviation, leniency or favor to any body. In a country like India we need such machines to replace those corrupt people in all departments where public is harassed for nothing just for the money under the table. As far as defense against enemy is concerned such lifeless armies will be preferred by any nation . Such robots will not have family attachments, no leaves required and no enemy will take them hostage!
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Duane Benson
1/19/2012 7:21 PM EST
I don't think we have to wait for 2084 for this to happen. Cars with auto braking and throttle by wire could very easily be speed limited by some hidden bureaucrat. "Smart grid" devices could be controlled remotely. When fully in place, your utility could decide that you really don't need any more hot water today. Those automated systems can already lead to a home foreclosure. Almost everything we interact with today is automated to some degree or other and once they're all connected, we could be controlled to a great degree by unscrupulous people in power.
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David Ashton
1/19/2012 8:34 PM EST
Read "Can" for some of that Duane, it's already happening. Here in Australia they have "Ripple relays" with coded pulses of tones sent over the electricity wires which can switch your hot water heater off for "load shedding" if needed. Even back in Zimbabwe they used to do this, though on a cruder level. We'll jsut see more of it coming in I reckon.
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