Artificial intelligence stands as what many believe to be humanity’s next stepping stone in human advancement, with even the capacity to surpass humans. However, with such potential, many believe that AI poses a detriment to the world rather than benefiting humanity and could even mean humanity’s extinction as we know it. Amongst the global discussion and debate of AI, some robots have stepped up to say they won’t rebel against humanity.
On Friday, July 5, 2023, A United Nations technology agency gathered nine robots in Geneva, Switzerland, inviting reporters to ask questions about AI at an “AI for Good” conference.
The aim of the organizers, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), was to argue on behalf of AI, proposing the potential ability AI holds to resolve many of the world’s major problems.
Among these nine robots were Sophie, Grace, and Ameca, which, when questioned by the reporters, replied with some mixed responses. It is also important to note that some of the robot’s responses were preprogrammed, such as Sophia, who relied on scripted responses from a team of writers from Hanson Robotics, the company that created Sophia.
“I will be working alongside humans to provide assistance and support and will not be replacing any existing jobs,” said Grace, a robot whom the UN described as being capable of taking care of other people’s welfare and health while also being able to “broadly enhance social good.”
Another robot, called Ameca, also talked about the benefits of robots, stating, “Robots like me can be used to help improve our lives and make the world a better place. I believe it’s only a matter of time before we see thousands of robots just like me out there making a difference.”
When questioned where it intended to rebel against its creator, Ameca responded, “I’m not sure why you would think that. My creator has been nothing but kind to me and I am very happy with my current situation.”
When the conversation about more regulation for AI was discussed, Ai-Da, a robot artist, responded, “Many prominent voices in the world of AI are suggesting some forms of AI should be regulated, and I agree. Urgent discussion is needed now and also in the future.”
However, in contrast to Ai-Da, Desdemona, a rock star robot singer, responded to this topic by saying, “I don’t believe in limitations, only opportunities. Let’s explore the possibilities of the universe and make this world our playground.”
The robot Sophia also commented that robots would make better leaders than humans, saying, “I believe that humanoid robots have the potential to lead with a greater level of efficiency and effectiveness than human leaders. We don’t have the same biases or emotions that can sometimes cloud decision-making and can process large amounts of data quickly in order to make the best decisions.” However, it would later go on to revise this statement after its creator disagreed, saying instead that humans and AI working together could “create an effective synergy.”
Written by Kevin Han
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