This video concisely summarizes some recent EDC themes and questions for the future: robots, dystopian fears, sentience, embodiment, memories, dreams and human/technology relationships.
4 thoughts on “FROM ROBOTS TO SENTIENT MACHINES”
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Interesting video; robots have been part of human imaginings for so long and now they are becoming reality.
Some of them really make me shudder though. The childlike one in particular. For me, this falls below the line of the ‘uncanny valley’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley). What do you think? Do any of them make you feel uncomfortable? Which ones?
Jin, thanks for your comment. Please see my recent post with Danny Bazo video. Please just look at 40:00 – 43:00 mark of video, which has prompted my own re-thinking about “uncanny valley.” In short, it may not be a “valley,” after all. More research is necessary. The attraction/repulsion response we feel may be more related to human-like behaviors, less than human-like appearances. PJ
I completely agree that movement / body language also have a place on the uncanny valley graph. The image of the robot cuddling up to a human in All About Robots (http://edc15.education.ed.ac.uk/pfameli/2015/01/24/envisioning-the-future-of-education/) gives me the same shudder even though the appearance is very robotlike.
And it’s not just robots that set off the reaction. The ear in the petri dish is just as bad (http://edc15.education.ed.ac.uk/pfameli/2015/01/25/week-two-escape-from-the-uncanny-valley/).
As robots become more prevalent do you imagine that humans will lose this reaction towards them? If we don’t, how could this affect their future development?
Jin, thanks for your interest in this topic. Please take a look at my recent post on therapeutic robotic seals, as proof that robots can actually be cute and cuddly.