NOT SO CLEVER-BOT

With machines being so fundamental to human development, it is natural that engineers and scientists have tried to reflect human qualities through a machine. Research in artificial intelligence has focused on creating robots that can “acquire new knowledge autonomously and become increasingly more complex and capable” (Breazeal & Scasselati 2002, p. 481). In Breazeal and Scasselati’s (2002) study of social learning in robots, they note that there is a large commercial interest in robot development for use “by ordinary people in their homes, their workplaces, and in public spaces, such as hospitals and museums…” (Breazeal & Scasselati 2002, p. 481). Evidently, the social implications of developing human-imitating robots would be profound if it were successful in the future.

One of the latest advances in the robotics world witnessed a conversation between two ‘Cleverbots’. Regarded as one of the best attempts by researchers to mimic human interaction, the experiment by Cornell’s Creative Machines Lab shows great potential for robots to acquire new knowledge and interact like humans would naturally.

Human robots are a great example of how technology is directly inspired by human social interactions. This example in particular reflects the advancement in robotic research to create autonomously-running robot interaction. It legitimises claims that robots have a stake in human future, and as Breazeal and Scasselati (2002) predict, if these experiments become successful, they will definitely play a large role in all sectors of human life.