Silicon Teamwork
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Flying and ground-pounding robots team up to search for targets (image and video). The cool bit? That little bot with the monster tires is called "Clodbuster." That, or the writer can't spell. =)
"A team of autonomous flying and ground-based robots have successfully cooperated to search for and locate targets in the streets of an urban warfare training ground in the US. The system could help in search and rescue efforts and military operations – and even has the potential to include humans in the team."
Seriously, every improvement in artificial impact could have significant social implications. In this case, we may not be moving much closer to nigh-omniscient supercomputers ruling the universe, but we are moving closer to replacing yet another set of jobs with robots. Such changes are essentially an extension of the Industrial Revolution, which has been destroying old jobs and creating new ones for years through automation. The most important thing about this present challenge is that the jobs being eliminated are ones that have traditionally required a human being in some capacity.
We'll probably continue to want a human being to supervise these operations, and I don't think any soldier will regret not being able to "go through the door first" instead of his robots. But it is a change from where we've been. If we fail to move immense numbers of people from traditionally "safe" jobs and careers to more challenging fields in which robots are still struggling, then a great many people will one day be out of work and left with a feeling that they can no longer contribute meaningfully to society.
Which isn't something any of us should want.
AI, Tech
Future Imperative
Flying and ground-pounding robots team up to search for targets (image and video). The cool bit? That little bot with the monster tires is called "Clodbuster." That, or the writer can't spell. =)
"A team of autonomous flying and ground-based robots have successfully cooperated to search for and locate targets in the streets of an urban warfare training ground in the US. The system could help in search and rescue efforts and military operations – and even has the potential to include humans in the team."
Seriously, every improvement in artificial impact could have significant social implications. In this case, we may not be moving much closer to nigh-omniscient supercomputers ruling the universe, but we are moving closer to replacing yet another set of jobs with robots. Such changes are essentially an extension of the Industrial Revolution, which has been destroying old jobs and creating new ones for years through automation. The most important thing about this present challenge is that the jobs being eliminated are ones that have traditionally required a human being in some capacity.
We'll probably continue to want a human being to supervise these operations, and I don't think any soldier will regret not being able to "go through the door first" instead of his robots. But it is a change from where we've been. If we fail to move immense numbers of people from traditionally "safe" jobs and careers to more challenging fields in which robots are still struggling, then a great many people will one day be out of work and left with a feeling that they can no longer contribute meaningfully to society.
Which isn't something any of us should want.
AI, Tech
Future Imperative
posted by Ralph Cerchione | Monday, June 19, 2006
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