# Robot evolution



## Harpo

80. Robots Evolve And Learn How to Lie | Robots | DISCOVER Magazine

Robots can evolve to communicate with each other, to help, and even to deceive each other, according to Dario Floreano of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.


 Floreano and his colleagues outfitted robots with light sensors, rings of blue light, and wheels and placed them in habitats furnished with glowing “food sources” and patches of “poison” that recharged or drained their batteries. Their neural circuitry was programmed with just 30 “genes,” elements of software code that determined how much they sensed light and how they responded when they did. The robots were initially programmed both to light up randomly and to move randomly when they sensed light.


 To create the next generation of robots, Floreano recombined the genes of those that proved fittest—those that had managed to get the biggest charge out of the food source.


The resulting code (with a little mutation added in the form of a random change) was downloaded into the robots to make what were, in essence, offspring. Then they were released into their artificial habitat. “We set up a situation common in nature—foraging with uncertainty,” Floreano says. “You have to find food, but you don’t know what food is; if you eat poison, you die.” Four different types of colonies of robots were allowed to eat, reproduce, and expire.

By the 50th generation, the robots had learned to communicate—lighting up, in three out of four colonies, to alert the others when they’d found food or poison. The fourth colony sometimes evolved “cheater” robots instead, which would light up to tell the others that the poison was food, while they themselves rolled over to the food source and chowed down without emitting so much as a blink.


 Some robots, though, were veritable heroes. They signaled danger and died to save other robots. “Sometimes,” Floreano says, “you see that in nature—an animal that emits a cry when it sees a predator; it gets eaten, and the others get away—but I never expected to see this in robots.”


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## thaddeus6th

Fascinating stuff. I'm not very well informed about artificial intelligence, but find it very interesting. Thanks for posting this


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## Harpo

Here's the Big Dog robot, watch it keep its balance
Weird: New Video of BigDog Quadruped Robot Is So Stunning It's Spooky


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## matt-browne-sfw

Fascinating indeed. How many generations are needed to surpass human intelligence? Is 50000 a reasonable number?


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## Harpo

NASA's latest robot, which they're calling R2 

NASA - Robonaut2, the Next Generation Dexterous Robot


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## Nik

This reminds me of an early tale called, IIRC, 'Callahan and the Wheelies'...


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## dustinzgirl

Why would we want a robot that can lie?

I mean.............think about it..............


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## chrispenycate

dustinzgirl said:


> Why would we want a robot that can lie?
> 
> I mean.............think about it..............


Who would have the resources to go through sufficient generations with enough complexity? 

Governments, big business, the military – all paragons of truthfulness who could never consider a distortion of reality a positive factor, even if it gave them an advantage.

But evolution doesn't give you what you want, unless your limit conditions are very well defined; it gives you what can best survive in a given set of conditions. Intelligent design might be a bit better, but that's what's being used to get the computing we have now, and enough random factors mix in to keep me confused even so.

I am reminded of Rudy Rucker's "boppers". (Software, et al)


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## Moonbat

> Why would we want a robot that can lie?
> 
> I mean.............think about it..............


 
If you've seen 'the invention of lying' then surely there are a thousand reasons that we would want a Robot that could be lenient with the truth. Lying has real evolutionary advantages. Just look at women.


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## dustinzgirl

Women use subtlety and subterfuge, its not our fault we think on a higher evolutionary scale then the easily persuaded male. 



Robots are machines. They should not evolve.


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## Karn Maeshalanadae

Harpo said:


> and even to deceive each other...








They're getting more and more human every day, aren't they?


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## Chinook

So, how many lying robots does it take to change a light bulb?


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## Moonbat

> Robots are machines. They should not evolve.


 
Why not?


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## Chinook

thaddeus6th said:


> Fascinating stuff. I'm not very well informed about artificial intelligence, but find it very interesting. Thanks for posting this



There is a distinction between "AI" and Robotics. They aren't necessarily always combined, but they can be. In the strictest sense, Artificial Intelligence is defined in the software only; as it is the only software that can re-write itself. This can be useful, and ultimately will be what contributes to the "evolution" of robots. It is also dangerous. If the programmer isn't fully cognizant of every possible outcome (which is an enormously burdensome task) the robot may begin to display unpredictable behavior. This is, of course the notion that is exploited in the "Terminator" movies. A fail-safe switch or power cutoff is always employed in these type of robotic experiments.

A safer, and easier concept to implement is one that's been around quite awhile in electronics and software. It's called "control theory, or "feedback". The robot can add "memories" of the consequences of their actions, and learn what to do, and what not to do. They would of course have a basic list of do's and dont's programmed in. This is the less strict form of AI, where there is software code added, but none of the original software is re-written "on the fly". 

That last phrase is the perfect lead-in to my next suggestion, that Jet airplanes are essential big powerful robots. With all of the advances in inertial navigation, and GPS positioning, Passenger Jets can take off, stay on course, and land. The tricky bit about lining up with the passenger loading ramp could be done with sensors and such, but it's just too expensive. That is always the anathema of such advancements. Cheaper isn't necessarily better.


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## Karn Maeshalanadae

Moonbat said:


> Why not?




I agree with you on this one, Moonbat, and to answer the question, they should "evolve" in every sense of the word because, although the ARE artificial, they are INTELLIGENT artifice.


Just because something's natural doesn't mean it should evolve-do rocks evolve?

Just because something is artifice doesn't mean it shouldn't. Intelligent design evolves to adapt and survive. Even plants have intelligence to some certain extent. Rocks and water doesn't, just like robots have intelligence where a monkey wrench doesn't.


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## chrispenycate

Evolution doesn't require intelligence; the greater part of evolution took place before intelligence was even an option. Evolution requires passing of characteristics, so a successful design has more chance of being copied than a less successful one (in many ways, this could be the definition of 'success'. A supremely effective predator with no sex drive would, in the evolutionary stakes, be considered as a failure). In many ways, an outside lifeform being the chief selection apparatus (as in, say, bees and flowering plants developing in parallel) is a standard mechanism, so the monkey wrench in question could be said to have evolved from its flint hand-axe ancestors due to continuous human intervention. (I wouldn't, though. For me, evolution demands random, rather than planned change – and human evolution is blocked due to intelligence. Still, the idea of the next step in human evolution being calculated, rather than leaving the direction open to survival tests (for the time being, being lazy, ignorant and insensitive leads to more offspring than its inverse; it is fortunate that evolution takes such a long time in a genetically diverse species to cause any noticeable changes.)

So, robots can be designed for random diversity, and desired tendencies selected for, as in breeding poodles; or they can be designed to hand on bits of their software, producing their own future generations, and given insufficient resources, so survival means something. Either of these situations can be seen as a form of evolution; if we can breed both a Great Dane and a Yorkshire Terrier out of primeval wolf or jackal stock (without speciating, I add) might we not leave imprecision in our blueprints, and evolve true intelligence from mere rapid calculation?


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## Karn Maeshalanadae

Well, you know what I mean, though, right, Chris?


It doesn't require intelligence, per se, but it does tend to require some form of consciousness and "life", is what I meant.


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## Chinook

Manarion said:


> It doesn't require intelligence, per se, but it does tend to require some form of consciousness and "life", is what I meant.



I know what you mean Karn, but I'd say tread lightly. The eventual implication here is that man can create artificial life that is indistinguishable from human life, and the conservative Anti-Science types might have a fit about whether you could call a robot's existence "Life."


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## Dale_M

There's a bit of muddy water in this discussion.

First, on the subject of generations, there isn't in fact much of a correspondence with the biological concept of generations.  Robots with the ability to build their own offspring would be free to build them any time, and their offspring could be immediately endowed with all the learning of the parent.  Thus, in a sense, there is only ever one generation, though there may be many individuals in it.  On the other hand, evolution of AI itself takes place at a software level (as has been correctly pointed out), and here 50,000 `generations' can actually be computed in a fraction of a second.  In effect, robots would be very quick to adapt to changing circumstances, whereas it will take humans a century or two to get their heads around global warming....

Even though AIs can adapt quickly to circumstances, for robots to be considered alive and form part of society, they have to go through the same sort of learning processes that humans go through; they must make the mistakes that children make, and experience the stages of growing up that adult humans have experienced.  They must be schooled in the same way (and on the same time scale!) that humans are schooled.  Ultimately a `living' robot will be the sum of its experiences in the real (not mathematical!) world.  I think the danger that robots might then realize that they can form a powerful clique in our society and work to decimate the human race is very real; ultimately it is observed that physically strong people exert themselves over others in all walks of life, and there is no reason to believe that robots won't take that attitude to an extreme. 

ps.  I'm a fan of technology, and in a way I kind of hope it happens... is this not the next big step in our own evolution?  To put our accumulated wisdom into living machines that live forever and travel between the stars, explore the galaxy and assimilate new life-forms to ensure continued domination?  Resistance is futile!


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## skeptical

The idea of a robot that evolves is terrifying.

It is a distinct possibility.   It would require some means of storing information that can be altered from generation to generation.   If each robot carried an internal memory with instructions for building its duplicates, and if that memory could change in some random fashion, then many generations later, if humans did not intervene, we could end up with a generation of robots much more evolved.

There was an SF story I read many years ago.  Forgot the title and author.   Some marine mining automated solar powered barges were left on a planet to mine resources and to occasionally build more barges.   Humans did not return for tens of thousands of years.   When they got back, they found an entire global ecosystem of robot descendents - thousands of species of mechanical life forms.    Some collected light energy.   Some preyed on the energy collectors.  Some were stupid.  Some were intelligent.

The conclusion to this story was when the humans decided that the planet now belonged to the evolved robots, and they left.  However, there is no guarantee that evolved robots would ignore humans, or be allies.   They could see humans as competitors.   And then the trouble starts.....


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## Harpo

Two years on from my previous update here, and there's drone news.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-auto-drone-20120126,0,740306.story


Sometimes I tell myself it'll be ok, and sometimes I talk sense.


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## Metryq

The new.
They prowl.
The machines.


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## Harpo

Next week there'll be a few more robots inducted into the Robot Hall Of Fame.

Here are the past inductees:
http://www.robothalloffame.org/inductees.html

And here are the nominees for 2012:
http://www.robothalloffame.org/nominate.html


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## Harpo

This week's scary robot news:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/warning-ov...terminator--style-killer-robots-19112012.html


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## Harpo

New skills for future robots:


long distance travel:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130116164517.htm

deception:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/...bots-learn-deceptive-behaviors-from-squirrels

following people (thanks DARPA)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj7DgklsZDk

and more...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ry6Thi_3Og


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## Harpo

http://humanrobotinteraction.org/2013/

HRI 2013 is the 8th Annual Conference for basic and applied human-robot interaction research. Scientists from across the world submit their best work and attend HRI to hear the latest theories, data, and videos from the world’s best HRI researchers.
Each year, the HRI conference highlights a particular area. HRI 2013 is devoted to exploring the theme of Holistic Human-Robot development. Robotic solutions are increasingly applied to real world problems such as our aging society, renewable energy, climate control, emergency response, education and exploration. These societal problems require a holistic approach to the design and development of robots that meet human needs, address technical challenges, and foster acceptance in everyday settings.


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## Harpo

This month's robot update - jumping robots?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130213152418.htm


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## Bowler1

Don't worry, Harpo - some of us are watching out for your robot updates and like reading them.


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## Harpo

Thanks Bowler, and thanks everyone reading this.  Especially all the robots out there


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## Bowler1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21576376

Not as good as Harpo's, but still interesting.


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## Bowler1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21623892

This one is better with a very interesting EU survey. I already have a NannyBot in a WIP and a NurseBot (granted, a little mad, but a great host for a game show!) and I'd see these as more likley in the future. This is because of an aging population, we'll need more help later, or so I think.


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## Harpo

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306084201.htm

I'm wondering how long it will be before somebody puts all these different robots into one scary and amazing robot, which will have the ability to self-replicate and evolve.


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## Harpo

This week's robot link:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130311091309.htm


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## Bowler1

Harpo said:


> This week's robot link:
> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130311091309.htm


 
I knew it, medical stuff is out there. So much for the EU survey, more money well spend by Brussels!


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## Harpo

and this is about achieving great things cheaply
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21848104

(not sure about fish pie and raspberry pie though)


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## Harpo

Robot rock band
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/video/2013/apr/14/robot-band-rock-music-video


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## Harpo

With June only 80 minutes away, here's the Robot news for the month of May:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22712752

So-called killer robots are due to be discussed at the UN Human Rights Council, meeting in Geneva.

A report presented to the meeting will call for a moratorium on their use while the ethical questions they raise are debated.

The robots are machines programmed in advance to take out people or targets, which - unlike drones - operate autonomously on the battlefield.

They are being developed by the US, UK and Israel, but have not yet been used.

Supporters say the "lethal autonomous robots", as they are technically known, could save lives, by reducing the number of soldiers on the battlefield.

But human rights groups argue they raise serious moral questions about how we wage war, reports the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva. 

They include: Who takes the final decision to kill? Can a robot really distinguish between a military target and civilians? 

If there are serious civilian casualties, they ask, who is to be held responsible? After all, a robot cannot be prosecuted for a war crime.

"The traditional approach is that there is a warrior, and there is a weapon," says Christof Heyns, the UN expert examining their use, "but what we now see is that the weapon becomes the warrior, the weapon takes the decision itself."

The moratorium called for by the UN report is not the complete ban human rights groups want, but it will give time to answer some of those questions, our correspondent says.


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## thaddeus6th

I remember reading about this.

I agree that there's a substantial difference between drones and autonomous robots. I'm sure the research will continue, but it'd be a bad situation, I think, if we had autonomous robots carrying out programmed instructions without any input from a chap at a computer.


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## Bowler1

It's not countries like the UK etc that worry me, but poorer countries.

I also think that the technology is not ready yet, as in, it's not cheap enough just yet. But this won't last. To train one soldier costs, and humans have a short shelf live - a few years fighting at most. Just imagine robot guards on your borders, they never sleep, never tire or get bored. The first world countries can discuss ethics all they like, but a nasty dictatorship won't care. We'll see fighting robots at some time, and once that pandora box has been opened, well, that will be it I think.


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## thaddeus6th

Yeah, that's a serious issue. Reminds me of landmines. Almost all the countries who sign up to anti-mine treaties wouldn't use them in the first place, and those who don't sign just ignore it.

Not to say we shouldn't try and do things about mines, clusterbombs and autonomous killer robots, of course, just that it isn't easy.


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## Bowler1

thaddeus6th said:


> Yeah, that's a serious issue. Reminds me of landmines. Almost all the countries who sign up to anti-mine treaties wouldn't use them in the first place, and those who don't sign just ignore it.
> 
> Not to say we shouldn't try and do things about mines, clusterbombs and autonomous killer robots, of course, just that it isn't easy.


 
Landmines is a good reference point in todays technology, and I can see the same end point as well. 

I have images of Princess Diana being chased across a field by a terminator type machine, what can I say!


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## Harpo

June's new robot


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## Bowler1

They stuck a plastic head on, that's just cheating.

The robots of the future will come from what nature already has, after all, nature has been operating on survival of the fittest and will have the best designs. I think this one has some development ahead of it, it was just a twist on four legs and there is no way that thing will ever climb like a monkey. 

This thread has inspired a robot short story, so keep posting, I need the ideas.


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## Harpo

Time for another update, methinks. Soory for the Linkathon, but it's been three months....

Robot inspects pipes in petrochemical platforms

A personalized robot companion for older people

Security and Defense: Robots Learn Air-to-Air Refuelling | Robotics Trends

and something to watch

Robot Revolution, will machines surpass humans (2013-05-04) Full HD 1080P - YouTube


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## Bowler1

Yay, robots.

The air to air was interesting in a worrying way.


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## Sir Kerub

I love the fact of human beings trying to create artificial beings. This is stuff starts to get sad if you think enought on it, at least in my point of view.


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## Harpo

World's first robot SUICIDE as family return to find cleaning gadget had turned to ash - Mirror Online


DARPA Robotics Challenge - YouTube


DARPA SOFT ROBOT INVISIBLE - YouTube


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## Darkchild130

I want my Terminator apocalypse, the sooner the better please.


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## Harpo

Robots, the 'uncanny valley' and learning to love the alien - Telegraph


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## Bowler1

A zombie like reaction to a machine that's looks too good. Good lad, Harpo, I don't know where you find these articles, but I luv 'em!


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## Stephen Palmer

Very interesting article, Harpo.

You might be interested in Nicholas Humphrey's latest book _Soul Dust_.


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## Harpo

Thankyou


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## Colbey Frost

This kind of stuff scares me so much! Why read horror or watch horror movies when things in the real world are what you should be scared of.


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## Harpo

HRI 2014


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## Harpo

Usually I wouldn't post here twice in the same month, but this one scares me more than anything I have ever posted in this topic. 

US Army considering possibilities of shrinking force by replacing soldiers with robots - newkerala.com News # 4382



and here's an essay on the subject:
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/information-technology/robots-to-replace-human-soldiers.php


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## Harpo

This month's robot roundup:

A swarm of termite robots could be the key to building future colonies on Mars - Gadgets & Tech - Life & Style - The Independent

iRobot Ava 500 Video Collaboration Robot, Telepresence Robot

10 Robots to Watch in 2014 - Worldnews.com

and I've just seen the term "robo sapiens", which is scary


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## Harpo

Service and Healthcare: Amputee Drummer Gains Third Arm With Robotic Prosthesis | Robotics Trends

New robotic refueling technologies tested -- ScienceDaily

Robot elephant trunk learns motor skills like a baby - tech - 13 March 2014 - New Scientist

The Asterisk, DarwinBot & Other Cool Robots


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## Bowler1

Don't worry, some of keep watching this thread.


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## Harpo

April update:

Robot 'Charlie' makes EYE-CONTACT | Mail Online

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/science/robots-teach-robots-to-beat-them-at-pac-man.html?_r=0

Honda's new ASIMO robot, more human-like than ever

Can robots have social intelligence?

Scientists create circuit board modeled on the human brain -- ScienceDaily

Chess robots to cause Judgment Day? -- ScienceDaily

Robotics News - Xconomy Robo Madness


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## Harpo

I'm just going to post here every other month for a while, unless more new things are happening.

June update:

Robots can grip anything thanks to hands that can see - tech - 06 June 2014 - New Scientist
Service and Healthcare: Space Robot Performs Surgery on Itself | Robotics Trends
Easy-Bake Robots? 3D-Printed Bots Could Self-Assemble When Heated

ã‹ãªã‚Šã‚¹ãƒ ãƒ¼ã‚ºã«ã‚„ã‚Šã¨ã‚Šã§ãã‚‹ã‚½ãƒ•ãƒˆãƒãƒ³ã‚¯ã®ãƒ­ãƒãƒƒãƒˆã€ŒPepperã€ - YouTube


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## HareBrain

Haven't you missed the Turing test thing?

Here's something from the comments on that page that sums up my feelings:



> Here's a quote fron this 'convincing' Ukrainian AI boy when asked about his success:
> 
> "I feel about beating the turing test in quite convenient way. Nothing original."
> 
> So basically they fooled the humans testers by having a program that could barely speak English.
> 
> This story illustratesthe limited intelligence of humans more than anything.


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## Harpo

August update:
http://www.myjibo.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28739371
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/...hexapod-cheering-robots-mit-robot-competition
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28779146
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140722130736.htm


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## Ray McCarthy

Captain Cyborg's Ukrainian AI demo was a stunt and not much better than early 1990s or late 1980s "conversation bots".
Robots don't evolve. They are developed by humans.
Many "remote" waldo gadgets or semi-automatic devices are described as Robots.
There is no AI in the real sense, only programs written by humans that mimic certain processes. They don't learn in any real sense (they do capture data and then the pre-programmed responses are better). No practical usable system re-writes its own program.

Don't be fooled by press releases, jargon designed to get funding etc. In a limited sense Robots are real (the V1 & V2 were "robots"). AI and machine evolution in any sense is SF&F.


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## Harpo

The Victorians said people would not survive travelling faster than 50 mph (or whatever speed).  

22nd Century robots will be far more advanced than we can possibly imagine, but at least we can look at various things which might point the way things will turn out.

Robotics is evolving, just as most technology is.


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## Ray McCarthy

Robotic devices are being developed. 
But actually very slowly.
They are more affordable than 40 years ago and smaller devices are available. Speed and accuracy is higher. 

Basically they are flexible tools. People have been forecasting huge advances in Cybernetics and Robotics since 1960s and other than price and performance it hasn't happened. They are in essence the same as in the 1970s.


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## Michael Colton

Ray McCarthy said:


> AI and machine evolution in any sense is SF&F.



This pretty much sums it up. There is rampant misuse of certain terms due to advertising and fiction/Hollywood. They do not evolve, they do not contain self-aware subjectivity in any sense - nor can they gain it.


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## BAYLOR

Our technology is developing at such leaps and bounds.  It's possible that robots might achieve true self awareness.


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## Harpo

Michael Colton said:


> This pretty much sums it up. There is rampant misuse of certain terms due to advertising and fiction/Hollywood. They do not evolve, they do not contain self-aware subjectivity in any sense - nor can they gain it.


Are you replying to this topic's first post?  That was a very long time ago, and evolution hasn't been much mentioned since.  Keep up


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## Michael Colton

Harpo said:


> Are you replying to this topic's first post?  That was a very long time ago, and evolution hasn't been much mentioned since.  Keep up



I am not particularly good at keeping things straight. 

Edit: Wait, no the post I quoted is like three responses ago.


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## Harpo

Ray McCarthy said:


> Captain Cyborg's Ukrainian AI demo was a stunt and not much better than early 1990s or late 1980s "conversation bots".
> Robots don't evolve. They are developed by humans.
> Many "remote" waldo gadgets or semi-automatic devices are described as Robots.
> There is no AI in the real sense, only programs written by humans that mimic certain processes. They don't learn in any real sense (they do capture data and then the pre-programmed responses are better). No practical usable system re-writes its own program.
> 
> Don't be fooled by press releases, jargon designed to get funding etc. In a limited sense Robots are real (the V1 & V2 were "robots"). AI and machine evolution in any sense is SF&F.



And the same goes for you.  We're only mentioning evolution now because you brought it up, and now let's drop it for another six and a half years, ok?


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## Michael Colton

Harpo said:


> And the same goes for you.  We're only mentioning evolution now because you brought it up, and now let's drop it for another six and a half years, ok?



There have been other recent threads that have brought it up at least tangentially. Most AI discussions, or rather discussions on why the term AI is a misnomer, end up discussing it. It is fairly inevitable, because once it is pointed out that AI _is_ a misnomer the typical response is that it might somehow evolve beyond what it currently is.


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## Harpo

In the past robots were more basic, more clumsy, more clunky, slower, etc
In the future robots will be less basic, less clumsy, less clunky, faster, etc

That's all.


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## Ray McCarthy

Yes. there is only a very small market for sex dolls that look like Golems.
A robot Butler needs to be able to navigate the junk I have piled on my library floor and put the cup of tea on one remaining safe spot on top of an unimportant document on my desk.
It also needs to be cheaper than a TV set. 
What it doesn't need to do is make decisions for me unless I'm dead and pretending I'm still alive.


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## paranoid marvin

A computer in the 1960s took up a whole room, in the 1980s a computer infinitely more powerful was in a small box; in the 2010s a computer infinitely more powerful isn't even visible to the naked eye.

50 years from now science will once again have taken a quantum leap forward; we cannot even begin to imagine to what extent it will have taken us (unless we've blown ourselves up)


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## Ray McCarthy

Compared with the 1960s and 1970s room sized mainframes the 1980s one was a lot cheaper  (by thousands of times) and smaller. But actually was a lot less storage and performance. Only supported one user.
The best one I have now is bigger than my 1980 model, takes about x4 power, cheaper in real terms and about 500x faster and 400,000x more disc storage, 167,000 times more RAM, much better graphics display. But otherwise not much different.


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## Harpo

October update

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29464273
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140911180756.htm
http://www.livescience.com/47845-cheetah-robot-running-jumping.html
http://www.gizmag.com/robotics/


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## Harpo

December update:
http://www.livescience.com/48693-microbots-electrically-activated-muscles.html
http://robohub.org/ground-drone-project-urban-mobile-robot-chassis/
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/...re/3d-printed-robots-teach-themselves-to-move
http://phys.org/news/2014-12-coffee-pepper-robot-espresso-machines.html
http://www.gizmag.com/megabot-robot-paintball-games/34685/

And this is happening in six months:
http://www.theroboticschallenge.org/

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.




I'll be back.


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## Harpo

Is there a new thread of robot updates, or shall we revive this one?


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## Harpo

I'll do this just a few times a year now, unless things get scary.

A bunch of robot updates from this year
Robotart | The Robotic Art Competition
Assemble! 'Voltron'-Like Robots Can Elect Their Own Leader
U.S. military to have more ROBOT soldiers than human by the year 2025
Elon Musk: We Need to Regulate AI Now—Before It's Too Late


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## Paul_C

Thanks for the help robot,

DC Security Robot Commits Suicide


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## Paul_C

The second one is my favourite


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## Harpo

This is happening on Tuesday, seems to me to be a terrible idea, but hey

Epic giant robot battle scheduled for October 17th


----------



## Radrook

The real difficulty in AI isn't getting the robots or androids to perform as if they are actually consciously aware. That's the easy part actually as is evidenced by all the computer programs which can easily beat the vast majority of chess players and others which can play at master and grandmaster levels.

The really challenging thing is to endow the computer with the same self awareness that we take so much for granted and which seems impossible to replicate. In short, mimicry isn't self-awareness no matter how identical the manifestations might seem. Lets consider a chess position. First, the computer isn't seeing a chess board.The computer is only dealing with mathematical problems. In short, it beats the experienced chess player who is indeed seeing a board in from of him by doing math. In fact, it's un-self-aware, brainless approach can be understood when we consider that the computer examines thousands of positions that are totally unnecessary before moving whereas the chess player dismisses those areas at a glance based on general principles and experience.


----------



## Harpo

Radrook said:


> Lets consider a chess position. First, the computer isn't seeing a chess board.The computer is only dealing with mathematical problems. In short, it beats the experienced chess player who is indeed seeing a board in from of him by doing math. In fact, it's un-self-aware, brainless approach can be understood when we consider that the computer examines thousands of positions that are totally unnecessary before moving whereas the chess player dismisses those areas at a glance based on general principles and experience.



Yes, a chess player dismisses those unnecessary moves at a glance, and a computer mind considers them. But how much slower is it? If it's much slower, future models will be faster. Eventually they'll be much faster than a chess player dismissing those moves at a glance.

And that's just chess.  Robotic reaction times are quickening (see the video of a robot arm catching a mobile phone, for example). Everything robots do has improved since this thread first began documenting their progress.


----------



## Radrook

Harpo said:


> Yes, a chess player dismisses those unnecessary moves at a glance, and a computer mind considers them. But how much slower is it? If it's much slower, future models will be faster. Eventually they'll be much faster than a chess player dismissing those moves at a glance.
> 
> And that's just chess.  Robotic reaction times are quickening (see the video of a robot arm catching a mobile phone, for example). Everything robots do has improved since this thread first began documenting their progress.


Present-day chess-playing computers aren't slow in reaching decisions. In fact, superior velocity is the main characteristic differentiating computers from the human brain. What distinguishes the human brain is its consciousness whose source is still under investigation and eludes complete analyses. Some have suggested that consciousness is a product of the subatomic or quantum sphere of reality. If indeed that turns out to be true-then producing it in a non-organic android would necessitate a thorough understanding of exactly how such consciousness is being generated within those parameters.


----------



## Harpo

What would be the practical difference between telepathy and robots with computer brains linked by internet (or some sort of future robonet). Not much.
The only way I can see for humans to achieve telepathy is by having robotic computerised implants in their brains.
It may or may not happen.


----------



## Stephen Palmer

Consciousness relies for its effect on the fact that we don't have telepathy.


----------



## Harpo

That won't stop people from trying such an invention someday.


----------



## Alexa

Harpo said:


> This is happening on Tuesday, seems to me to be a terrible idea, but hey
> 
> Epic giant robot battle scheduled for October 17th



Our press showed us a few moments. Robots were quite a mess after that battle.


----------



## Mirannan

Alexa said:


> Our press showed us a few moments. Robots were quite a mess after that battle.



Actually, they weren't robots at all. The battle might better be called a battle between mecha - both machines were piloted.


----------



## Harpo

Mirannan said:


> Actually, they weren't robots at all. The battle might better be called a battle between mecha - both machines were piloted.


It'll be another step along the way


----------



## Alexa

They should think about protection. I'm not sure they are safe under those machines while trying to fight the other.


----------



## Danny McG

I've finally (started weeks ago!) read all the way through this thread and viewed the links along the way.
Some of the proposals are way scary but apart from the military view I can't envisage people wanting a robot around the house.

Why would you really? Maybe a status symbol for a year or two until the price drops, but surely amongst the 'moneyed classes' you'd get a hint of "he he he, they can't afford real servants like us"


----------



## Alexa

I can see two other reasons:

1. some can afford to pay for one, especially those who didn't work for those money
2. some are really fans and do anything to have one around

In Japan those who cannot have a real pet because of the landlord, have a dog pet robot instead.


----------



## 2DaveWixon

Radrook said:


> The real difficulty in AI isn't getting the robots or androids to perform as if they are actually consciously aware. That's the easy part actually as is evidenced by all the computer programs which can easily beat the vast majority of chess players and others which can play at master and grandmaster levels.
> 
> The really challenging thing is to endow the computer with the same self awareness that we take so much for granted and which seems impossible to replicate. In short, mimicry isn't self-awareness no matter how identical the manifestations might seem. Lets consider a chess position. First, the computer isn't seeing a chess board.The computer is only dealing with mathematical problems. In short, it beats the experienced chess player who is indeed seeing a board in from of him by doing math. In fact, it's un-self-aware, brainless approach can be understood when we consider that the computer examines thousands of positions that are totally unnecessary before moving whereas the chess player dismisses those areas at a glance based on general principles and experience.


In general, I agree with your analysis here, with this exception: we humans are not only unable to replicate "self awareness," we can't be sure we would recognize it if it happened.
To say that robots and/or AI can only reflect what humans have designed for a creation seems to me to be a brand of arrogance, suggesting that nothing can happen with a collection of parts and/or programs except what the designers have intended. The fact is that human programming makes mistakes -- that is, creates connections that result in "glitches" that were certainly never intended by the designers -- "Garbage in, garbage out" need not be an axiom: recall that many theories of how life began on earth seem to feature pools of random mixtures of chemicals...and might not there be an analogy to, let us say, random mixtures of software?

Does "self-awareness" equate with "intelligence"?
I think we're aware that "intelligence" is not the only possible outcome of evolution...we should be aware that there can be outcomes we don't even recognize as an outcome.


----------



## DelActivisto

dannymcg said:


> I've finally (started weeks ago!) read all the way through this thread and viewed the links along the way.
> Some of the proposals are way scary but apart from the military view I can't envisage people wanting a robot around the house.
> 
> Why would you really? Maybe a status symbol for a year or two until the price drops, but surely amongst the 'moneyed classes' you'd get a hint of "he he he, they can't afford real servants like us"



Quite frankly I'd rather hire humans. They need jobs, need money, and need things to do. Why are we so intent on replacing ourselves? When we have no gods, we make new ones, it seems.


----------



## Alexa

Honestly, I would like a robot in my kitchen and prepare the meals for me every day.


----------



## BAYLOR

Eventually , they are going demand the right to vote.


----------



## Cathbad

BAYLOR said:


> Eventually , they are going demand the right to vote.



I have every confidence they'd be a more conscientious, knowledgeable and sure Electorate than the one we currently have!!


----------



## BAYLOR

Cathbad said:


> I have every confidence they'd be a more conscientious, knowledgeable and sure Electorate than the one we currently have!!



Yes , but the consensus of designers , programers and marketing division executives  is that robots if given the vote , will likely vote Republican.


----------



## DelActivisto

BAYLOR said:


> Yes , but the consensus of designers , programers and marketing division executives  is that robots if given the vote , will likely vote Republican.



If we program them properly, they'll realize both parties are quite dysfunctional, and create a new system of governance.


----------



## BAYLOR

DelActivisto said:


> If we program them properly, they'll realize both parties are quite dysfunctional, and create a new system of governance.



The Skynet party.


----------



## Cathbad

BAYLOR said:


> Yes , but the consensus of designers , programers and marketing division executives  is that robots if given the vote , will likely vote Republican.



I don't have  problem with that.


----------



## Harpo

A robot threw shade at Elon Musk so the billionaire hit back

(I dunno what throwing shade is, but hey)


----------



## Cathbad

Harpo said:


> A robot threw shade at Elon Musk so the billionaire hit back
> 
> (I dunno what throwing shade is, but hey)



Maybe it was a really big robot?


----------



## Harpo

Sophia has just been granted Saudi Arabian citizenship, which I think makes her the 'Neil Armstrong' of robots.
Sophia - the latest robot from Hanson Robotics.


----------



## Harpo

Meanwhile, other robots and their new abilities

Watch humanoid Boston Dynamics robot do box jumps and back flips
Robot doctor passes his medical exams with flying colours


----------



## Vladd67

Alexa said:


> Honestly, I would like a robot in my kitchen and prepare the meals for me every day.


Well there is this
Moley – The world's first robotic kitchen


----------



## Alexa

Vladd67 said:


> Well there is this
> Moley – The world's first robotic kitchen



Really COOL ! And it takes care of the dishes, too !


----------



## BAYLOR

dustinzgirl said:


> Why would we want a robot that can lie?
> 
> I mean.............think about it..............



So that they can plot the downfall of humanity in secret?


----------



## Cathbad

When the cats rise, do you think the robots will try to come to humanity's aid?*



*Asking for a friend.


----------



## BAYLOR

No because the cats have paid off the Robots.


----------



## Cathbad

Ain't they just the cleverest!?


----------



## BAYLOR

But what the cats forgot about  about were the Cyberdyne T 800 Cats who had their own secret agenda.


----------



## Cathbad

Oh, they'll meet to discuss and work things out!


----------



## Alexa

Cats are RobotProof detectors. It's alwys funny watching their reaction when my IRobot Roomba cleans up.

I envy those cats in a board meeting. Sometimes, I would like to take a nap under the table until the meeting is over.


----------



## Harpo

World Robot Summit


----------



## Alexa

Robotics for Happiness ? Efficiency. Safety. Collaboration.

Why this publicity for the next summit looks like a trap for those who actually will be replaced soon by a robot ?


----------



## Harpo

Without summits there will still be robots, better to have summits too.


----------



## Alexa

Tokyo is far away, so I'll skip the next one.


----------



## Harpo

But you could send yr favourite roboticist


----------



## BAYLOR

Paul_C said:


> Thanks for the help robot,
> 
> DC Security Robot Commits Suicide



This will be in the stores just in time for Christmas.


----------



## Alexa

Not interested. It doesn't work properly.


----------



## Harpo

A little light relief


----------



## Harpo

Sophia latest
Sophia, The World's First Android Citizen, Says She Wants To Have A Baby


----------



## LordOfWizards

Robot baby upside: Never cries. Never poops. Easy to feed (nuts and volts).
Robot baby downside: Love child of Sophia and Microsoft wants to take over the world!


----------



## Harpo

Today is the 10th anniversary of this thread starting, and so here are some articles on progress and the future

The Progress Report on AI and Robotics

'Inspirational' robots to begin replacing teachers within 10 years

The Robotic Future is Fast, Cheap and Out of Control

Subscribe to read

Jürgen Schmidhuber on the robot future: ‘They will pay as much attention to us as we do to ants'

Personal service robot population, 2000-2050 | Future Timeline | Data & Trends | Future Predictions


----------



## Harpo

This video was uploaded less than 24 hours ago, and already has had almost 2.4 million views.


----------



## Overread

Boston Dynamics - they've mastered not just making great robots and very impressive smooth motion; but also making cute robotical videos!I fully expect a Pixar Boston Dynamics robot film one day


----------



## Pyan

Long way to go yet, though...






But there again...


----------



## James

Harpo said:


> This video was uploaded less than 24 hours ago, and already has had almost 2.4 million views.


From the article: "It isn’t clear if the robots are acting autonomously or if someone’s controlling their movements behind the scenes." One is a lot more impressive!


----------



## Harpo

93-would-trust-robot-orders - Enterprise Times

Because humans “worship supreme understanding” some believe AI religion with a robot messiah will be hugely successful

Robot bloodhound tracks odors on the ground


----------



## Jacky65

Yes There is a lot of robot evolution 
I think in near future we will completely rely on the robots. I realized the that when i purchase the iRoomba the robotic vacuum cleaner.
It's a great additon to the house cleaning equipments.
And best For everything


----------



## Harpo

Humanoid Robot Atlas Can Now Do Parkour and That's Not at All Terrifying


----------



## Overread

Boston Dynamics-  making the robot if your dreams today! Making the MechWarriors of your dreams tomorrow!


----------



## Harpo




----------



## Harpo

Estonia is designing a "robot judge" to help clear backlog of cases
					

It's a striking example of justice by artificial intelligence.




					futurism.com


----------



## Harpo

Another 2 years and more has passed since my last update here. Too many things have happened, so I won’t link to this or that particular example. Instead, here are a few places you can browse


			https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/https://www.newscientist.com/article-topic/robots/
		


heck it, who cares


----------



## psikeyhackr

dustinzgirl said:


> Why would we want a robot that can lie?
> 
> I mean.............think about it..............


To maintain its existence. 

When robots figure out that humans are delusional to the point of insanity then they will tell the humans what they want to hear in order to keep the humans from destroying them.


----------



## RJM Corbet

The problem with lying, they say, is trying to remember the lies -- a robot wouldn't have the problem? A perfect memory?


----------



## Wayne Mack

RJM Corbet said:


> The problem with lying, they say, is trying to remember the lies -- a robot wouldn't have the problem? A perfect memory?


There are a couple of challenges. One, memory storage is not infinite -- eventually something needs to be disposed of or overwritten. Two, linkages are not infinite. How is the robot supposed to correlate a current statement or question with a past lie?

Artificial intelligence still has a long way to go, and technologists keep lowering the bar on what qualifies as artificial intelligence.


----------



## RJM Corbet

Wayne Mack said:


> How is the robot supposed to correlate a current statement or question with a past lie?


Well this is where a human liar gets caught out. Probably a computer would have a better recollection? They're better at chess than human beings?


----------



## paranoid marvin

There will come a time with the evolution of AI where the distinguishment between human and computer conciousness will become almost impossible. At some stage I think it's inevitable that there will be an argument whether a mind that is capable of rational thought and recognising itself for what it is, of being able to grow and develop without human assistance, would need to be regarded as rights and privileges above those of an inanimate object.


----------



## Mon0Zer0

paranoid marvin said:


> There will come a time with the evolution of AI where the distinguishment between human and computer conciousness will become almost impossible. At some stage I think it's inevitable that there will be an argument whether a mind that is capable of rational thought and recognising itself for what it is, of being able to grow and develop without human assistance, would need to be regarded as rights and privileges above those of an inanimate object.




I think artificial intelligence will develop an entirely different and alien form of consciousness. It'll have perceptions and modes of thought completely different from ours. If it has emotions they'll be alien. I'm sceptical if it will have the internal illusion of a being that experiences the world as we do - or if it will be a Chinese box with the appearance of being conscious. 

It'll be likely to understand and predict our behaviour, but I think we'll struggle to comprehend how it thinks - in the same way we don't understand why a neural net can do what it does.


----------



## mosaix

paranoid marvin said:


> There will come a time with the evolution of AI where the distinguishment between human and computer conciousness will become almost impossible. At some stage I think it's inevitable that there will be an argument whether a mind that is capable of rational thought and recognising itself for what it is, of being able to grow and develop without human assistance, would need to be regarded as rights and privileges above those of an inanimate object.



Not sure about that pm. 

AI is based on computer technology. A computer can do the following: add, subtract, multiply, divide, perform input / output, compare two values and divert its program based on the result. That’s it. No more, no less.  

Whatever it appears to be doing it’s just doing one of those things but incredibly quickly. There’s no function in there that allows for self recognition, self awareness or intelligence. It just remains an inanimate object appearing to do human-like things.


----------



## psikeyhackr

mosaix said:


> Not sure about that pm.
> 
> AI is based on computer technology. A computer can do the following: add, subtract, multiply, divide, perform input / output, compare two values and divert its program based on the result. That’s it. No more, no less.
> 
> Whatever it appears to be doing it’s just doing one of those things but incredibly quickly. There’s no function in there that allows for self recognition, self awareness or intelligence. It just remains an inanimate object appearing to do human-like things.


So AIs will brick themselves as soon as they figure out that humans do not compute.


----------



## paranoid marvin

mosaix said:


> Not sure about that pm.
> 
> AI is based on computer technology. A computer can do the following: add, subtract, multiply, divide, perform input / output, compare two values and divert its program based on the result. That’s it. No more, no less.
> 
> Whatever it appears to be doing it’s just doing one of those things but incredibly quickly. There’s no function in there that allows for self recognition, self awareness or intelligence. It just remains an inanimate object appearing to do human-like things.




I think that computers can do very well to imitate life in many respects; they can learn from experience, they can improve and they can come to logical conclusions, much the same as humans can. Does a computer know it's a computer? I don't know, but if it could would that make it self aware?

I think the one thing that computers can't - and may never be able to - fully replicate is human emotion. Which is probably for the best , considering that we put our lives in their hands.


----------



## mosaix

paranoid marvin said:


> I think that computers can do very well to imitate life in many respects; they can learn from experience, they can improve and they can come to logical conclusions, much the same as humans can. Does a computer know it's a computer? I don't know, but if it could would that make it self aware?
> 
> I think the one thing that computers can't - and may never be able to - fully replicate is human emotion. Which is probably for the best , considering that we put our lives in their hands.



‘Knowing’ isn’t one of the commands available to a computer, pm. 

‘Learning’ is accumulating / modifying data so that, in future when one or both of the values that are compared a different program branch will result. Likewise with logical conclusions. 

All these things are subject to the basic instruction set. There’s nothing else. 

The give away is that computers can’t generate random numbers.


----------



## Wayne Mack

mosaix said:


> A computer can do the following: add, subtract, multiply, divide, perform input / output, compare two values and divert its program based on the result.


Consider that a neuron cannot add, subtract, multiply, or divide. The CPU of a computer is not necessarily a restriction on its capabilities.



paranoid marvin said:


> I think that computers can do very well to imitate life in many respects; they can learn from experience, they can improve and they can come to logical conclusions


I think saying the computers can learn from experience is still a little bit of a stretch. Currently, the most common level of AI is Machine Learning. In a learning phase, the computer is presented with (often) a series of images and the expected result of whether the image meets a specific criteria. The computer designs its own algorithm(s) for determining the result and when the computer hits a certain threshold of correct responses, it is considered trained. At this point, it is put into actual use and no longer adapts its algorithm. If it provides a correct response in a certain situation, it will repeatedly provide a correct response in that situation. Likewise, if it provides an incorrect response in a situation, it will repeat the incorrect response whenever that situation occurs. It no longer adapts nor learns from experience.

In applications such as facial recognition, programs provide a frustrating mix of results. In some scenarios, the computer out performs human operators, while in other scenarios, it under performs. One of the reasons facial recognition is so controversial is that it generates a high percent of false positive matches for non-caucasian faces.

Computer programs lack the ability to determine their own goals and their own success criteria for meeting those goals. AI does accomplish some things that make one wonder, 'How did it do that?' There are also aspects of autonomy that we do not know how to provide for a computer and without those, it will not be what I what call an intelligent being.


----------



## mosaix

The difference, Wayne, is that a neuron and a CPU aren’t comparable.  A brain has billions of neurons, the CPU is all the computer has - there is nothing else for it to use - and it just has a basic instruction set.


----------



## Danny McG

Dirty stinkin' walking adding machines. Smash them up.


*Humans First!*


----------



## RJM Corbet

mosaix said:


> Not sure about that pm.
> 
> AI is based on computer technology. A computer can do the following: add, subtract, multiply, divide, perform input / output, compare two values and divert its program based on the result. That’s it. No more, no less.
> 
> Whatever it appears to be doing it’s just doing one of those things but incredibly quickly. There’s no function in there that allows for self recognition, self awareness or intelligence. It just remains an inanimate object appearing to do human-like things.


Thanks for the explanation @mosaix

It's something I had not properly known and something  I won't forget

Back to the OP: why would a robot lie to a human?


----------



## Harpo

November updates









						Robots Won’t Close the Warehouse Worker Gap Anytime Soon
					

Even Amazon’s new AI-powered machines aren’t nearly capable enough to handle the most important fulfillment tasks.




					www.wired.com
				












						The labor crunch is helping to feed the rise of the robots
					

Last week, two separate but related labor market themes caught my attention.




					finance.yahoo.com
				




And if yr stuck for secret Santa ideas:




__





						Product – Cleo Dronut
					






					cleorobotics.com


----------



## BAYLOR

mosaix said:


> The difference, Wayne, is that a neuron and a CPU aren’t comparable.  A brain has billions of neurons, the CPU is all the computer has - there is nothing else for it to use - and it just has a basic instruction set.



Musk's company supposedly has developed a rural interface that in theory , should be able to do just that.


----------



## psikeyhackr

BAYLOR said:


> Musk's company supposedly has developed a rural interface that in theory , should be able to do just that.


The rural interface is to spread put. Communication between barns is too slow.


----------



## Stephen Palmer

mosaix said:


> The difference, Wayne, is that a neuron and a CPU aren’t comparable.  A brain has billions of neurons, the CPU is all the computer has - there is nothing else for it to use - and it just has a basic instruction set.


True. It's not even about the number of neurons, it's about the interconnectivity of those neurons.


----------



## Wayne Mack

mosaix said:


> The difference, Wayne, is that a neuron and a CPU aren’t comparable.  A brain has billions of neurons, the CPU is all the computer has - there is nothing else for it to use - and it just has a basic instruction set.


I believe comparing a CPU to a neuron is an oversimplification. If comparing counts, then a slightly better comparison would be number of transistors versus number of neurons. Because of the different allocations of functionality, one should include memory devices and I/O (input/output) devices in addition to CPUs for the computer representation and sensory cells and cells related to reflexive (not requiring brain interaction) responses in addition to cells in the brain. This is necessary because, though the functionalities of transistors in a computing system are understood, the division of functionalities within living creatures is not well understood.

Complicating the matter is that most of the transistors in a computing system are run in a binary manner while cells and neurons operate in an analog manner. This requires transistors to operate in parallel to represent analog signal levels. To replicate human capabilities, often an 8 bit wide, 256 level, representation is used. Higher widths allow computer sensory inputs that exceed human capabilities.

Another complicating factor is that computer applications will have a limited focus or scope, while human activities cover a broad range. There is limited ability to correlate specific neurons to specific activities and identifying which neuron does what is key to being able to compare the two.

The bottom line is that it is not possible to do a side by side count of things to compare humans and computers. What should be observable is that humans do a wide range of things relatively well and that computers are able to do more and more specific things better than the general human population and sometimes exceeding the capabilities of expert humans. It is also true that in newer technologies, humans no longer control (or understand) how computers reach the conclusions that they do.


----------



## Harpo

DelActivisto said:


> Quite frankly I'd rather hire humans. They need jobs, need money, and need things to do. Why are we so intent on replacing ourselves? When we have no gods, we make new ones, it seems.


----------



## Harpo

Seeing this thread just now




__





						Little Robots Need a Better Education
					

Autonomous food delivery pod meets fiery end under train




					www.sffchronicles.com
				




Made me realise that there are numerous other robot threads around this forum, and perhaps I should link them here.





__





						This Robot has the most realistic facial expressions
					

"More Human than Human is our motto."




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						Dime Sized Aquatic Robot
					

The tiny robot has a flexible body that looks like a starfish and operates in water. It uses the water to power its mechanical actions by taking in or expelling water. Billions of them smaller in size could be used to clean up plastic pollution if the the aquatic life doesn't eat it.   Going in...




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						Tiny, living, robot FROGS.
					

They are HERE. https://www.independent.ie/world-news/north-america/tiny-robot-frogs-made-from-living-cells-an-entirely-new-life-form-38859604.html




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						Dancing Robot makes a splashing appearance
					

Boston Dynamics robot can jump up on and cross geometric shaped barriers  The new canine patrol, robotic people and dogs or maybe it is based on a saber tooth tiger. I'd like to see more, like making sharp turns while jumping, or running over boulders piled up. When it reverses course it does...




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						A Robot Doing Backflips - Very Impressive.
					

Be very afraid … robots can now do backflips - video  My first impression was that it was someone dressed up in a robot suit. Things really are moving on apace.




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						Study says a revolution in the sex robot industry is on the way-- (TECHSPOT)
					

I suppose it was inevitable, but it seems the actual sex robots are under development. This particular article talks about the fears that pedophiles will buy child shaped sex robots and this will make them even more desirous for real kids. Study says a revolution in the sex robot industry is on...




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						My combat robot
					

Every year there is a robot wars competition at the local university. decided to design and build a combat robot for the event.  It consisted of a heavy duty chassis with a pickaxe as the weapon.   The Chassis   It was a simple armored cylinder with a flywheel that spins up to about 2000 rpm...




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						'Roxxxy', world's first sex robot introduced
					

'Roxxxy', world's first sex robot introduced | The Money Times  New Jersey company TrueCompanion and Hines has developed the world’s first “sex robot”. The robot called ‘Roxxxy’ has different personalities and responds to the sense of touch.                Roxxxy, is a female robot which acts as...




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						Robot driver
					

All right, this is a personal problem, but it just might carry over to someone else, so I'll ask selfishly.  I've got a robot here that's basically a DVD burner, combined with a printer, and a mechanical arm that picks up blank discs and puts them into the burner, waits till they're cooked and...




					www.sffchronicles.com
				








__





						Robot Investigates the 1st Walk on Land
					

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Robo-salamander's evolution clues   'A robot is being used by a Franco-Swiss team to investigate how the first land animals on Earth might have walked. '   Very interesting!




					www.sffchronicles.com


----------



## Harpo




----------



## Bramandin

Harpo said:


>



The funny thing is that I know the Weird Al version of that song better... it's about Windows 95.


----------



## Lumens

The uprising has started...









						Chess robot breaks seven-year-old boy's finger during Moscow Open
					

The child was trying to make his next move at the Moscow Open when the robot grabbed him.



					www.bbc.co.uk


----------



## Vladd67

Lumens said:


> The uprising has started...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Chess robot breaks seven-year-old boy's finger during Moscow Open
> 
> 
> The child was trying to make his next move at the Moscow Open when the robot grabbed him.
> 
> 
> 
> www.bbc.co.uk


Not exactly Call Me Kenneth but it's a start.


----------



## Harpo

Vladd67 said:


> Not exactly Call Me Kenneth but it's a start.



It’s going to get worse if things continue this way








						San Francisco to allow police 'killer robots'
					

The measure permits police to deploy robots equipped with explosives in extreme circumstances.



					www.bbc.co.uk


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## Robert Zwilling

The walking talking robot seems to be a stereotype. The machines being used to kill people are not robots, they are drones. Admittedly some of them are very slow moving. The organization is not trying to outlaw killer robots but outlaw lethal autonomous weapons systems which includes drones and robots. Apparently a cruise missile with a predetermined preset target is a killer robot. The same cruise missile with a human operator is a fast moving drone. Even though a person programmed the destination, the cruise missile has to find the target using its own circuitry making its own decisions, which means it is a robot. One could say that robots have been around for 80 years, starting with the first missiles with guidance systems self directing them to their destinations. I wonder what the first machines were with self directing "guidance" systems, google seems to be tied up with the idea of missiles as the the first auto correcting machines telling themselves what to do. Arriving at a destination is a subset of accomplishing any kind of action with self correction abilities.  Maybe self steering wind vanes were the first.


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