I, Robot?

It appears as though Dr. Isaac Asimov's tales of humans and robots coexisting in society may not have been too far fetched. This past week, scientists in South Korea began drafting an ethical code to bar humans from harming robots and robots from harming humans. To many, this may seem a bit premature. The only robots most people see on a daily basis are in the form of toys, assembly line machines, and vacuum cleaners. However, developments in robotics have resulted in humanoid robots that can react to human touch, understand multiple languages, and even change their eye color and robot-face expression based on mood.

As robots become more human-like with the not-too-far-off development of artificial intelligence, this ethical code will become more important. If robots can think and learn and make their own decisions, can they be at fault for mistakes they make? Is the owner of the robot to blame? Is the company that built the robot responsible? The ethical code will hopefully answer these questions along with numerous others that will arise with the advent of A.I.

Once this technology is out there, the questions are going to be never ending. Will there be different laws governing different models of robots? Can robots be used in combat? Will they be primarily human servants? If they can think and feel can they get depressed? Can they fall in love with other robots? I hope I live to see robots integrated into society, but there will no doubt be very strict guidelines set forth regarding their use.

Want to see Hollywood's version of what robots living with humans will be like? I recommend watching Blade Runner, Westworld, or A.I.