Robot domestic servants be the extermination of humans???

I was just thinking about how they seem to towt this idea that the next big consumer product will be some kind of an andriod that people could use in there home.

An android that operates as basically a domestic servant. But I just wonder how this would actually work. Because right now if you want an employee you have to hire someone and more often than not it's very hard to find good help.

But if you could just buy robots and have them do all your work, that would be really odd. It could lead to a major paradigm shift in class structure. Like those who can afford to buy robots advance to levels of wealth and success as there robots are constantly doing work for them and helping them to make more money and advance in society.

No different than take for example a company with employees. those employees are helping to make there boss or company owner wealthy and successful. so as he advances he hires more and more people. Well same thing could happen with robots.

As they start doing all this work for the owner, he starts making more and more money which he uses to buy even more robots which he basically uses as his tireless slaves to advance him and his family.

Like I just wonder how that would all work? Like there would likely be a lot of rules and laws put into practice like, 1 robots per household. etc etc. that way no one could easily use there robot to get ahead in life. And stuff like that.

Then what happens if lets say they have a backdoor built into the wiring as like a kill switch. So they distribute them everywhere to all humans. People start buying them like cars. So every household has one. Then TPTB flip a kill switch. The robots then turn on there owners and kill them as a mass extermination of humans.

to make matters worse the Robots will mostly look like humans. So TPTB might say "in light of the killings we're forced to do a total recall of all the robots". then when they do they basically turn them into there own private massive army of death and tyranny to enslave those remaining humans.

And or what could happen is they say to every human remaining that they need to be micro-chipped as a way to prove they're human, as they claim there could be killer robots hiding still amongst the humans. So at that point everyone gets the mark of the beast.

That gives humans a way to prove to another human that they're not an android. So humans buy into the idea because they don't want to end up making friends with what could be a killer robot in disguise. plus lets say they tell people that as long as you have the chip no robot can attack anyone implanted with the chip.

Again thus further enslaving humans....

Any thoughts???

I would say we are at least 10-15 years out from a passable domestic robot, and as with all technology socitity would simply adapt to the new norm.

Look at manufacturing and the change that took place with industrial robots, at first only the larger manufacturers could afford them. Even now jobs that could easily be done by robots are not due to the cost associated with them, it will be a long slow process before they are in our homes.

The process will be long enough that society will adapt, that is unless by some miracle they crack A.I. and manage to run it on say existing Hardware platforms.

Originally posted by r2d246
I was just thinking about how they seem to towt this idea that the next big consumer product will be some kind of an andriod that people could use in there home.

An android that operates as basically a domestic servant. But I just wonder how this would actually work. Because right now if you want an employee you have to hire someone and more often than not it's very hard to find good help.

But if you could just buy robots and have them do all your work, that would be really odd. It could lead to a major paradigm shift in class structure. Like those who can afford to buy robots advance to levels of wealth and success as there robots are constantly doing work for them and helping them to make more money and advance in society.

No different than take for example a company with employees. those employees are helping to make there boss or company owner wealthy and successful. so as he advances he hires more and more people. Well same thing could happen with robots.

As they start doing all this work for the owner, he starts making more and more money which he uses to buy even more robots which he basically uses as his tireless slaves to advance him and his family.

Like I just wonder how that would all work? Like there would likely be a lot of rules and laws put into practice like, 1 robots per household. etc etc. that way no one could easily use there robot to get ahead in life. And stuff like that.

Then what happens if lets say they have a backdoor built into the wiring as like a kill switch. So they distribute them everywhere to all humans. People start buying them like cars. So every household has one. Then TPTB flip a kill switch. The robots then turn on there owners and kill them as a mass extermination of humans.

to make matters worse the Robots will mostly look like humans. So TPTB might say "in light of the killings we're forced to do a total recall of all the robots". then when they do they basically turn them into there own private massive army of death and tyranny to enslave those remaining humans.

And or what could happen is they say to every human remaining that they need to be micro-chipped as a way to prove they're human, as they claim there could be killer robots hiding still amongst the humans. So at that point everyone gets the mark of the beast.

That gives humans a way to prove to another human that they're not an android. So humans buy into the idea because they don't want to end up making friends with what could be a killer robot in disguise. plus lets say they tell people that as long as you have the chip no robot can attack anyone implanted with the chip.

Again thus further enslaving humans....

Any thoughts???

edit on 31-8-2012 by r2d246 because: (no reason given)

People would just get fat like the people off of wall-e.

It would be the same as a slave. And slavery happened and people are still here are they not?

Lots of people are already slaves to their cell phones, and social network sites.
It's thus not at all implausible that domestic robots will further handicap those people who allow learned helplessness and over-reliance on technology to become major factors in their lives.

If robots, by chance have the ability to self program, and upgrade on their own, then, at some point the point called "the singularity" will occur where robots will be faster, smarter, more adaptable, and better suited for survival than humans.

Post singularity world can be scary, or wonderful; all depending on how things work out.
We could have Terminator, The Matrix, or something like A.I. or I Robot (without the scary stuff).

I got ridiculed by my business professor who is a staunch capitalist for asking this.

In a capitalist society, there is always that push torwards saving money. Being able to automate things or have them done by "robots" is usually much cheaper in the long run than paying employees plus putting $ into our social nets. there is a natural push to have people replaced by intelligent systems.

So what happens when 99% of people no longer need to work?

Well according to my professor-

"hahaha next question"

Originally posted by r2d246
Then what happens if lets say they have a backdoor built into the wiring as like a kill switch. So they distribute them everywhere to all humans. People start buying them like cars. So every household has one. Then TPTB flip a kill switch. The robots then turn on there owners and kill them as a mass extermination of humans.
...
Any thoughts???

Hollywood has some crazy plots that will never come true. However the movie "I, Robot" just might come true, or some scenario like it which is along the lines of what you describe.

I know some people laugh at this concept as AIs are still way too primitive, and I agree it's not doing to happen anytime soon.

However, the question may not be "IF" it will happen, but "when" and to what extent. It's probably not too soon to start thinking about this topic. How do you stop an intelligent enough AI from re-writing its own program? Even if it's a "benevolent" AI, it might for example determine that the maximum population the Earth can sustain indefinitely is 4 billion people, so who knows how it would make that happen "for our own good", maybe by killing half the population?

It probably won't happen in the next 20 years. But 50 or 500 years from now? I can't even imagine how smart computers will be in 500 years. Look at how fast computer technology has advanced in 50 years. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that our machines may surpass our capabilities and cause problems for us in another 50 or 500 years if we're not clever enough about the kill switches and what not.

The way I look at it is this. Let's say we're a little too paranoid about this, and it turns out we're wrong. What's the downside? Some extra kill switches on our machines?

Now let's say we're not paranoid enough, what's the possible downside? Hollywood can give us plenty of scenarios for that, like "I, Robot" or "skynet". Better safe than sorry, I say.

Lots of people are already slaves to their cell phones, and social network sites. It's thus not at all implausible that domestic robots will further handicap those people who allow learned helplessness and over-reliance on technology to become major factors in their lives.

You changed your photo! ha ha I like the old one. Singularity ahh? cool. hmmmm sounds interesting.

I got ridiculed by my business professor who is a staunch capitalist for asking this.

I think a lot of prof's are so dumb. Like when I was in college, I still remember this one guy he taught a small business class. He'd get so passionate about starting a small business. It was almost like you got to thinking "why are you teaching and not doing".

So then I'd always see him on the bus going to school. then even after I left I was living DT and I saw him walking to school. Either A) he liked the exercise or B) he couldn't afford a car to drive to school But I just thought wow there's a guy who is the quintessential teacher in the role of "those who can't do, teach!"

Hollywood has some crazy plots that will never come true. However the movie "I, Robot" just might come true, or some scenario like it which is along the lines of what you describe.....

Ya I remember 10 years ago buying these desk top computers. They had 1.7gig processors in them. My understanding is that a lot of the smart phones already have processing power that big now. So we're talking a desktop motherboard now is in your iphone. I bet within 10 years we might see a first working human andriod. Might take a good 20-40 years before we see them being being sold to the public. But still after that like things could change so rapidly and dramatically in society. Because look at computers, all kinds of tech savey types have gotten them to run tirelessly doing a wide assortment of tasks. All kinds of bots online doing stuff already. I'm sure the same thing will happen with the bots. Like something as simple as showing bots how to do simple routine jobs that people use to do like say for example collecting the garbage, or mowing lawns. Stupid stuff like that would become routine, but before long the jobs being replaced will get more and more technical in nature. To eventually you'd have them doing surgery and other very delicate stuff.

reply to post by r2d246


I dont think its good to DEPEND so much on technology like this, it can make for a LAZY species eventually. I think this technology IS good for hospitals in war zones or 3rd worlds ect or to upgrade hospital assistance all together, but to make them like slaves does not seem logical. Especially if they have a interconnected Artifical Intelligenc network that allows them to STUDY and try to UNDERSTAND the human species. Thinks DOC. FRANKENSTEIN

I think stuff like this is the weirdest though, where you get robots who might eventually come to the realization that they're not actually human. So one thing leads to another and it's like they have memories of there childhood, and stuff like that, but they never get sick or hurt or bleed and eventually they figure it out that they're an android. Like at that moment what would happen to someone if they always thought they were human.

Maybe even always thought they had a soul, then discovered they don't and although they feel alive and think like a live being that they're just a toaster. Maybe all it would be though is a series of actions that look as if their AI is formulating expressions one might have at this realization, when infact it's just expression formulated by a computer, even to it's own self. So even still it's all just animation it's own programming that might trick us into thinking that they're aware when in actuality they're not.

But then again it's hard to say. Like there might be some point where the AI is so advanced that it mimicks human consciousness so there would be very little way to tell from the surface what someone is unless they got tested.

So lets say you get married and you think she is human but then later you find out she is an android. Or same thing with your best friend you always just assumed they where human. But then when you try and tell them they get mad at you and say "no your lying, and quite being mean to them!" Like they wouldn't want to face the reality that infact they are just a robot because all this time they always believed they were human. Or worse someone could be cloned and replaced by a robot, such as high level politicians or even people you know.

Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
reply to post by r2d246

 

I dont think its good to DEPEND so much on technology like this, it can make for a LAZY species eventually. I think this technology IS good for hospitals in war zones or 3rd worlds ect or to upgrade hospital assistance all together, but to make them like slaves does not seem logical. Especially if they have a interconnected Artifical Intelligenc network that allows them to STUDY and try to UNDERSTAND the human species. Thinks DOC. FRANKENSTEIN

Ya but it is possible that maybe in the future, just maybe, and I kinda doubt it, but if robots replaced a lot of jobs, then the cost of goods for humans would go down dramatically. For example because your human you would have certain priveledges from birth. So everything would be free from, going shopping to getting fuel, to picking a place to live etc etc. Just everything would not longer have a cost in terms of money tied to it. As the robots now make everything for us, and since we don't have to work, then we get all our stuff for free. Possibly according to some kind of ration system. But like say you'd automatically get 10,000 per month even if you didn't work. Then if you did work you would earn even more but it would be optional.

Like I've been self employed for 12 years. It's been nuts. But last night I was driving around and I see all these RV's getting ready for today which is the start of the long weekend. So it dawned on me how this is one of the few long weekends people actually get off, so it's ideal for camping. I often take that for granted because my schedual is more flexible. But I think someday everyone should just be able to do what they want, when they want, instead of being chained to a day job.

reply to post by r2d246


The idea is interesting but I personally feel there are downfalls to it not worth the risk. Look how much technology is effecting the conscious minds today with internet data sharing smart phone image sharing ect. Basically it seems that sometimes man gets comfortable when certain achievements are made (understood). but that may also slow down genetic progression which when fully advanced in their human nature human may not even require robotic support to even move from planet to galaxy and beyond but certain toys tend to slow down (trap) the development overall distracting humanity from finding out THE TRUE POTENTIALS DISTRACTION METHODS WITH TECHNOLOGY TOYS? REALITY tv for example-video games so much is taken away and swapped out for something else its hard to see the switch. Riding bikes switched for video games (of course not all are falling into this but many are) normal cooking switch microwave unhealthy cooking hey but its faster??? Reading books switched for hd movies there my be strengths related to just simply reading as opposed to watching tv. And last what type of energy drives these robots AND HOW MUCH DOES THAT COST TO MAKE AND HOW SAFE IS THE PRODUCTION OF THE ENERGY FOR THE BOTS FOR EA*RTH. So I dont dislike I just think caution is needed.

Caution like when the TREE of KNOWLEDGE was shared maybe man needed to be told JUST BECAUSE IM TEACHING YOU DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN DO AS YOU WISH WITH THE teAchINGS. this I think would of helped mankind to recognize OK we got higher technology but that does not mean to exploit it (NO) use it for the better of the herd and not to control it.


NAMASTE*******

As far as the current level of consumer robotics is concerned, we are currently constrained not by AI, which is quite decent for basic repetitive tasks and can even simulate a certain degree of autonomy in basic decisions about movement. We are more constrained by battery technology, which is quite "meh" with long charging times, short run times, and heat dissipation issues and onerous maintenance and environmental concerns. Production costs still currently keep home robotics out of practical reach of the majority, as Sony discovered with its now long discontinued home companion robot line of AIBO.

If manufacturers and consumers insist upon a human form factor, that is only going to slow us down further. There are other more practical form factors that would make a more cost effective, efficient and practical servant around the house. Just ask any housewife how handy an extra pair of arms would be. Of course that is a "deformity" we would not actually wish upon ourselves, but it would be fine for a robot...if we do not constrain our thinking to a strictly humanoid form.

Every house hold in America needs a robot like this. Just hope it doesn't malfunction