Download Cameron Christlieb Mind, Machine, and Consciousness (LE) Paper

Cameron Christlieb
Mind, Machine, and Consciousness (LE) Paper
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) have been almost inseparable ever since
Aristotle had the idea in 322 B.C. of using robotic, semi-intelligent machines to do the
work of man. He said, “If every tool, when ordered, or even of its own accord, could do
the work that befits it... then there would be no need either of apprentices for the master
workers or of slaves for the lords.”(Emphasis added) Since then that idea has grown,
slowly at first, but at a much quicker pace recently, into a science and is now a
dedicated field of study for thousands of people. The idea of these tools working on their
own accord is no longer a philosophical idea of Aristotle, but a fast-approaching and
sometimes already present reality.
Robots have been around long before the term “robot” was used by Karel Capek
in his play “Rossum’s Universal Robots.” The first robot known was a steam-powered
bird, which has simply been termed “the Pigeon” that was designed by Archytas, a
Greek mathematician, around 350 B.C. With later developments made during the
Renaissance with robots designed by DaVinci and others. Even more recently with the
harnessing of electricity and engine power robotics have become more complex and
ambitious, while also being more accessible. Now, two thousand years later, we are
really starting to incorporate robotics into our everyday lives. Robotic arms, used in
factories mainly for assembly line processes, now help produce many of the things we
use on a day-to-day basis. It has branched into new fields as well, with some robots
Cameron Christlieb
Mind, Machine, and Consciousness (LE) Paper
being used in the health care industry, the entertainment industry, the military, and
many more.
Although robots, in their simplest forms, have been around since the time of the
ancient Greeks, AI is a relatively newer field of study. People have imagined intelligent
machines long before actual AI was even remotely possible, with Aristotle being an
example of such thinking. This is probably because the idea of anything being
automated and moving with some control carries with it a sense of intelligence no
matter how mindless and simple the automation is. This is where a distinction is formed
between the robots that have no intelligence, but are simple mechanisms that repeat
mindless tasks like the first robots created, and robots which have some degree of
intelligence, or AI, in order to accomplish a task they are assigned. AI hasn’t developed
enough to get to the point where a robot can think or act according to its own will or
desires, that’s still a long ways off (depending on who you ask), but it has developed
enough so that some learning and “thinking” is available according to its programming.
A good example of this would be Sony’s AIBO dog
robot, arguably the most successful of all homeentertainment robots. The latest iteration of this robot
has many features that exhibit intelligence. These
features include: recognizing the owner, finding its
own charging station, using memory to form a
“personality”, ignoring certain commands to more realistically simulate the actions of a
real dog, and many more. These types of robots that use AI are becoming more and
more prevalent in today’s society, with practical robots being developed for the military
Cameron Christlieb
Mind, Machine, and Consciousness (LE) Paper
to rescue wounded soldiers and scout locations, robots that help the elderly and
disabled get around and provide assistance in case there is an accident, and some
robots designed just to keep people company.
The future of intelligent robots is very bright. Every day there are new advances
made in technology and more promising prospects on the horizon. Honda’s ASIMO
robot is a good indicator of the basic robot that will become more common as their use
and effectiveness increase in society. There will be huge developments in all areas of
robotics however, and in very specific markets. In many ways we are on the cusp of
what may be possible. There are also many limitations to robots that may be overcome
in the near future. One is power. Currently robots suffer from short active battery life or
are chained to an outlet, making mobile robots
like seen in movies like I, Robot a pipe-dream.
There have been many breakthroughs however
with more efficient batteries always being
developed and alternative energies becoming
more and more powerful. Another limitation is
the ability to be usable in versatile conditions;
right now robots are mainly designed for one
specific application. This is being overcome even now, as robots are being programmed
to learn in their environments instead of being programmed according to their
environment. This is really similar to how children and babies learn as they grow up.
This brings up another current limitation, the general problem of AI developers face.
Robots, like all electronic machinery, are prone to bugs in the system, and even the
Cameron Christlieb
Mind, Machine, and Consciousness (LE) Paper
most advance programs are still far from even the most basic of human understandings,
like the incredibly intelligent Deep Blue supercomputer, that beat the world champion
chess player, but couldn’t understand a simple joke. The limits of AI and robotics will
continue to change as better technology is developed. All of these limitations are
considered small inconveniences on the road to robotic perfection.
I think AI and robots are very promising endeavors for mankind to pursue. It has
many possible benefits and if we are responsible in our handling of this then I think it
has the potential to benefit us. It also presents many problems despite the difficulty of
even attaining a level of intelligence sufficient to qualify as a true AI or if it is even
possible. I don’t think we’ll even be able to determine if an AI is really conscious, we’ll
just make them well enough to make us think they do, à la the Turing Test. The ethical
and moral issues rose concerning robot rights if AI is developed to a human level, is
something I believe we’ll have a hard time determining. We have a hard enough time
being civil with our fellow man, and to add another equal yet not human thing to that
seems like it would spell trouble for one of us. I see it as something we’ll have to deal
with as we progress, and depending on the pace of technology development, it may
become a big issue later on. It’s definitely a double-edged sword. The future is very
bright for AI; let’s hope we don’t mess it up.
Cameron Christlieb
Mind, Machine, and Consciousness (LE) Paper
Bibliography

James Isom, J. I., 2005, Quoted from: A Brief History of Robotics,
http://robotics.megagiant.com/history.html.

Bruce Buchanan, B. B., 2011, Timeline: A Brief History of Artificial
Intelligence,
http://www.aaai.org/AITopics/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/AITopics/BriefHistory.

Mark Hamilton, M. H., Date N/A, Updated AIBO features built-in wireless
connectivity, http://www.gizmag.com/go/2192/.

Mark Rutherford, M. R., 2009, Bear Robot roars to the rescue,
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10315369-42.html.

Sue Cartledge, S. C., Date N/A, Robots to Care for the Elderly,
http://www.helioza.com/Directory/Science/Technology/Robots-to-Carefor-the-Elderly-7.php.

Regine, R., 2005, Accessories and robots for lonely people, http://wemake-money-not-art.com/archives/2005/04/by-2050-the-ove.php.

Erik Larsen, L.R., 1997, Rethinking Deep Blue: Why a Computer Can't
Reproduce a Mind, http://www.arn.org/docs/odesign/od182/blue182.htm.

Picture obtained from:
http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/sony_aibo_ers7m3_robot_dog.html.

Picture obtained from: http://spacecollective.org/Ismael.