Robot Reviews

Robots that can seek and forage sources of fuel, mimic the mobility qualities of the most maneuverable animals, withstand serious bangs and crashes, learn and manifest expressions, and so on - with these developments, it's normal for many in the general public to become concerned. After all, they probably haven't missed a single episode of The Matrix or Terminator.

It's therefore comforting to know that there are those in the forefront of these developments who recognize the threat and share in that concern. Last weekend, the New York Times reported of a private gathering of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence or AAAI last Feb 25. AAAI is a global scientific society that focuses on artificial intelligence as well as on the machines that embody them.

Among the members of AAAI are Eric Horvitz (Principal Researcher of Microsoft Research) & William Joy (Co-founder of Sun Microsystems). According to Horvitz, "Technologists are replacing religion, and their ideas are resonating in some ways with the same idea of the Rapture,". 

This same idea is making other members uneasy. Joy expressed his concern by saying "An immediate consequence of obtaining the great power of nanotechnology is that we run a grave risk that we might destroy the biosphere on which all life depends."

Their discussions included the issue on whether limits to these advancements have to be imposed. After all, having such technologies in the hands of evil minded individuals can have dire consequences. Computer viruses that are virtually impossible to eradicate and robots that are entirely autonomous - put those two together and you have a very lethal combination. 

Although the general impression is that the possibility of an attack via the Internet, which is undoubtedly the fastest way that such an attack can spread, is still quite nil, the time of having a killing machine in our midsts might have already arrived.

To read the original source, check out that story at New York Times.

You may also visit the AAAI website for more information of their latest activities.