Analysis Of Dan Mitchell's Household Robots Are Here, But Where Are They Going?

In my opinion, we should embrace and welcome robots into our daily lives because they improve our society in various ways. Some of the ways our society has benefited from the creation of robots include transportation, home maintenance, home assistance, education, security, entertainment, disabled assisted living, and even elderly assisted living. In the article The Future of Robot Caregivers, the author, Louise Aronson, states that the idea of robot caregivers shouldn’t be as threatening as most people perceive. She also states that our society as whole, not just the elderly, will benefit greatly in many aspects. For example, Aronson begins by mentioning that caregiving is a difficult job and that “it is work that many people either can’t or

The article “The Approaching Obsolescence of Housework: A Working-Class Perspective” by Angela Davis addresses on the liberation of women from their socially regarded functions in society. She explores the idea of capitalist critique and feminism, and she argues that housework is annoying as much as it is disempowering women in the society and women need to be released and discharged from these duties (Angela, 2011). Angela's unique perspective on women's roles as housewives and history of house works gives us a clear perspective on the plight of women in society. The article shares a different perspective to the traditional view of women as housewives in the community. Instead of judging women on their femininity and history of their work

Us as humans, have started to rely on our machines for a great deal (internet, comfort, relationships, solitude, etc.); we used to think that spending quality time together meant actually acknowledging each other, but thanks to robots, we now spend quality time in the same room, but on our devices. Turkle provides a great example of this when she states, “we romance the robot and become inseparable from our smart phones. As this happens, we remake ourselves and our relationships with each other through our new intimacy with our machines” (Turkle 86). She also discusses how obsessed we have become with our devices. The average person frequently checks their phone multiple times throughout the day. This has become quite a habit, because it has been molded into our minds. In the third paragraph of the article, Turkle provides clear evidence that humans rely too much on robots. The author adds sarcastic tones and phrases when she states, “our population is aging; there will be robots to take care of us. Our children are neglected; robots will tend to them” (Turkle 87). If people become preoccupied in their virtual world, they will start to begin to lose their humanity. Normal day activities will become a thing in the past because now, we can do it all on our

Robots have been useful to humans since the past. They’re made to make human life easier. Since early times people have been dreaming of making robots and different people have made different kinds of robots. Robots has been useful in the past, they’re now useful in present-time, and they’re going to be useful in the future.

At work, people are claiming to be too busy on their devices to be able to have conversations. In fact, they do not want to have the face to face interaction, but would “rather just do things on [their] blackberry” (136). Moreover, a “sixteen-year-old boy who relies on texting for almost everything says wistfully, ‘Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation’” (136). The reliance on technology has increased significantly and the necessity for conversation has pivoted. A teenage boy confesses that he feels more comfortable talking to an “artificial intelligence program” (138) about dating instead of his own father. Similarly, many people want “Siri, the digital assistant on Apple’s iPhone, [to become] more advanced, [because] ‘she’ will be more and more like a best friend” (138). Robots are being given more credit for comforting humans than humans themselves. Not only are the younger generations thinking this, but also the elders. When Turkle brought a baby seal robot to a nursing home, an elder woman began to speak to it and feel comforted by it. It is a tragedy that humans are feeling a deeper connection with robots than other humans. Humans have the experiences and the feelings that the robots are not capable of having. Hence, there is confusion about the difference between conversation and

In “Alone Together: The Robotic Movement,” Sherry Turkle explains some of the negative effects that robots are having on our lives. She also explains how they can have a negative effect on our daily lives without us even noticing. I am someone who knows a great deal about technology, however I had no idea that close human-robot interaction was happening at such an inappropriate level. There are many different examples Turkle uses in the article, however, I will only talk about two. I agree with Turkle not only that there are ethical problems with human-robot interaction but also that a lot of other forms of technology might be doing more harm than good.

Jerry West’s article “Robots on Earth” talks about robots that, unlike books or movies, aid people simplifying their lives and health. As robots don’t need specific conditions; they are perfect for performing jobs that might be harmful to humans. Like the R2 humanoid at the International Space Station, which completes dangerous and mundane tasks for astronauts and frees their time. They also boost our health; they are working with scientists to create an exoskeleton for quadriplegic people. Robots aren’t evil, they’re useful machines that have so much to offer and make our lives safer.lives

Not only that, these sociable robots inadvertently change the way we view reality around. In today society what was once taboo like talking to an inanimate object is now acceptable because of new technology. Even the

First of all, machines and humans can work together. An example is how at a pizza place robots are used to prep most of the meal. ‘"It's delicious. It's always hot and fresh when it comes," a customer said. "I can't tell the difference that it's made by a robot versus a human."’ (Chea). Robots will do the monotonous, repetitive jobs that humans don’t enjoy. In the example of the pizza place food quality will not suffer, and no one at

Sharkey explains the advantage points of his argument by explaining how the Japanese and South Korean companies are creating child-like robots that can be good for “video-game playing, conducting verbal quiz game, speech recognition, face recognition, and conversation” (Sharkey 358). He describes how robots have the ability to provide alerts when children move out of range. However, he brings up a crucial point in their programming on how robots can’t provide the proper care that human adults can give to their kids including: contact, touch and caring from other humans. Though robots can provide safety, children may not have contact with other humans for days, which according to Sharkey, can cause a “psychological impact of the varying degrees of social isolation” (358). His claim was based on animal studies. For example, during an experiment with monkeys, according to Sharkey, “severe social dysfunction occurs in infant animals that are allowed to develop attachments only to inanimate surrogates” (358). Like a child would do with a robot, the monkeys would grow too attached and their behavior would likely change. People today need to realize that they need to reconsider the idea of having robots care for their kids and start being the responsible ones.

In the article “In the Future, Warehouse Robots Will Learn on Their Own” talks about an automatic robot in Berkeley, California that can better advance the speed and technology of retail stores everywhere. Jeff Mahler and a group of engineers are working on a robot, Berkeley robot that can operate on its own. Mr. Mahler used a software that's placed inside the robot called neural network, or a network that's similar to the human brain and can absorb information by observation of an object. Attached to the berkeley robot is a two fingered hand with suction cup grip that can hold almost any object. The group of scientists investigated in computer-aided design (CAD) or digital depiction of physical objects. Eventually the team was able to create

Once this is determined and the robots get the drift of it, the scientist are saying that we will be able to have “nanny” robots. Who in their right mind would leave their child with a computer-controlled machine? I personally would never feel comfortable leaving my child with a robot. Yeah, the robot might be able to get the necessities like getting them food and drinks, but they won’t be able to give the child that “mother” feeling. Try and picture back to when you were a small child. Weren’t you always attached to your parents? Especially your mom? She just had that warm-motherly feeling that you happened to love. Imagine trying to get that same feeling from a robot. It just wouldn’t be the same. Like when you fell down and got hurt, what was the first thing you wanted? Most likely your mom, right? She just automatically made you feel better. There is no way for a child to get that same warm-motherly feeling from a cold, metal, machine. Not only am I worried about the child not feeling comfortable with the robot, but it could also be harmful for the child. What if the robot was changing a diaper or getting the child dressed and the robot has a glitch, it could easily shock and injure the child. There is just no reason for leaving a child under only the supervision of a computer-controlled machine. It just sounds extremely risky to me.

As technological advances surpass expectations, the business world sees constant innovation of new products, robotics, and ways to create efficiency. Businesses unremittingly seek ways to cut unnecessary costs, and manufacture products for higher profit margins. Debra Donston-Miller’s article “My Co-Worker Is a Machine: Telepresence Robots in the workplace,” previews telepresence robots in many practical future business settings. Instead of business professionals traveling city-to-city meeting colleagues or checking in on projects, telepresence robots allow managers to view progress through a mobile robot equipped with monitors, speakers, and microphones. Telepresence robots allow managers to direct projects and track development no matter

These robots are known as the ICub, and excel at interacting with the human population safely. One of these robots, known as Molly, exists in Bristol, England (Honigsbaum). This small combination of metals, wires, and computer components actually helps the elderly with simple tasks that they would ordinarily need help with. In addition to helping the elderly, the ICub can also help clean the work space of individuals. Simon, an upper-body humanoid, assists in moving a variety of items and cleaning workspaces. This robot was developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and statistics state that, “Simon could tell with close to 80% accuracy whether someone was paying attention or ignoring him.” This proves that it is indeed possible to create helpful machines that can also interact with humans through the regulation and extra development of artificial intelligences. All of the activities that the ICub Robots partake in are completely beneficial to the global society and will have a large impact on the culture of the world as a whole. An added plus to the push for technological development is that countries can use these advancements as a way to better the future of their state. These nations can accomplish this through the integration of robotic aids into their school systems. An instance in which this concept is used occurs in the Connecticut school system. Through Project D.I.S.C.O.V.E.R middle school students

Domestic robots or service robots are machines designed to accomplish household chores. These robots are slowly becoming more and more popular in our growing world. “Starting from humble beginnings in the middle of the twentieth century, the field has seen great successes in