Do You Find Robots Creepy?

RadishRose

RadishRose

SF VIP
Location
Connecticut, USA
Robot news presenter causes a stir on Russian TV

'Alex' has already caused a stir, with some viewers complaining about his appearance and accusing him of peddling political propaganda.

The robot was developed by Promobot in the city of Perm. His silicon head is modelled on the face of the company's co-founder Alexei Yuzhakov.

At the moment, the robot anchor can only move his facial features and neck.
However, the final robot will have fully mobile limbs as well.

Others mocked Alex's slightly rough appearance and clothes, his off-focus gaze and awkward facial expressions.

"Alex, if they are holding you hostage and force you to drink alcohol, wink three times when you go on the air!" urged a viewer online.

One viewer took a shine to Alex and said he was a "very nice robot" while another said his deployment was "an interesting trend".

Most observers think on-air Alex is a temporary stunt to inject some fun and promote innovative Russian technology in TV news.

more at https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47981274

_106507987_robot123.jpg
 

I'm not sue I understand the creepy part. It's a machine performing as it was built to do. You don't feel creepy about a computer program performing what it was designed to do. Just because a machine emulates a human doesn't mean it is a human.
 
I know what you mean but I think what people find creepy is when the machines remind us of living things. Mindless living things.
The robots in the clip are apparently designed to break into buildings when it is dangerous for humans to enter.

Did you notice that only the lead "dogs" had a "head"? Also, the way the team was assembled reminded me of a bullock team.
And Terminator movies.
 
The Japanese are the closest at making robots that can more closly resemble the movements of humans. They are look-a-likes but they are getting close to mimicking human movements. Sometimes I'm glad I won't be around in the next century and robotics and AI are the reasons.
 
Not all robots are creepy. Designers are aware of human reactions and incorporate cuteness.

This photo is of my grand niece with small robots designed by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) where her mother works in the media dept. This child has been featured on a number of technical magazines and has even been allowed to take one home on occasions. She loves them.

w2ktmx.jpg


On a more serious note, QUT has developed killer robots. Crown of Thorn starfish are a problem on the Great Barrier Reef and killing them by hand is not very effective. The submarine robots have been programmed to identify Crown of Thorns and inject them with a poison that destroys them completely. It goes by the name of RangerBot.

https://www.qut.edu.au/science-engineering/about/news?id=135110
 
Interesting thread, RadishRose.

I too find any man-made representation of humans that are "too life-like" to be a bit creepy. Some really good wax museum displays even fall into that category for me.

I generally think of robots simply as tools that can be programmed to do a particular task ... "find nut A, find bolt B, thread nut A onto bolt B, repeat". When working properly, they can do the same task correctly over and over again. (And when something goes wrong, they can do the same task incorrectly over and over again.)

Having a realistic looking robot programmed to "read" the news is somewhat creepy but not potentially dangerous.

But robots that have the potential to do harm. especially those having so-called "artificial intelligence", worry me. Heck, I find any potentially hazardous automatic system disquieting. Like that stupid device in your car that locks your seat belt in an "emergency" ... yeah sure. You're sitting stopped at an intersection and trying to lean forward to check for crossing traffic but can't because for some reason the stupid shoulder belt is locked. Hmmm ... !

Combining "artificial intelligence" with complex systems having the potential to do harm, as in "self-driving" cars or even lower level automatic safety systems is a recipe for disaster, IMO. If tomorrow's "smart" systems are as reliable as my new GPS or the "accident avoidance" systems on my new car, we're all doomed.

Fortunately, (sorry Star Trek fans) I don't foresee Commander Data appearing in our great grandchildren's lifetimes.
 
chic said:
Robots have creeped me out since Hal in 2001 a Space Odyssey. Remember that?

:magnify:
Click to expand...


I saw the movie at a Hollywood theater when it was initially released [1968.]
I was 16 and visiting my brother who was getting his post-doctorate at Caltech.
I confess, he had to explain to me the Nietzschean "man to superman" movie theme.

.
 
Read up on the future of artificial intelligence if you don't mind being scared. It is not as far off in the future as some suggest. The potential irony is man builds something to help us but it winds up doing the opposite.
 
I grew up watching such robots as Robbie in the movie Forbidden Planet, and Gort in The Day the Earth Stood Still, and accordingly have fascination with and a degree of fondness for them.
 
I sufferred throught the movie A I. HATED it.
Who remembers "Tobar the Robot on Captain Video"?
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.google.com/search?q=robot+pole+dancer+las+vegas&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjlvtyu1OPhAhVQA6wKHautAC8Q_AUIECgD&biw=1536&bih=751&dpr=1.25#imgrc=dELupgYzvlgjjM:

[/FONT]
 
for some reason, I don't find any type of robots creepy

now clowns;

Like the reoccurring nightmare I have from time to time..... a clown waving a bloody knife chasing me

that's a bit creepy
 
Robots trying to look "human" seem creepy to me. But when regarded as a tool, they are very helpful. I love my Roomba that vacuums the floor for me!
 
Hey, my first post on SF, so apologies in advance for any mistakes!
I for one, welcome our robot overlords. lol sorry.
Seriously, I'm fascinated by the advancements in robotics and AI, and i'm a pretty avid consumer of all things science and sci-fi. The writings of Asimov come closer to reality by the hour, it seems. I hope I'm around to see the first Strong AI come online. If it turns out to be a creation that deems Humanity redundant we could be in trouble, as in the "Terminator " films, lol, but I'm more optimistic, and prefer the theory that it could be hugely beneficial for mankind, helping us to reverse some of the damage we've done to our home as a species. But hey, who knows?


 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top