cyborgs.., a "what if" scenario.. Options

[DivA]

this came to mind from seeing the trailer for the upcoming - i,Robot ~ it got me thinking...if a time ever came where our world advanced far enough along to have actual cyborgs participating in various duties of daily life, then how would you react to that? would you treat them fairly to best of your ability, or would you look upon them as nothing more than servants - firmly convinced that they are best used to "serve" humanity? would you be comfortable in dealing with them?

but more importantly ~ is it wise to even consider introducing such an element into civilization at all? though knowing that our standard of living may improve, an unpredictable price will surely ask to be paid.. =.

~thoughts?

[HC82]

Well, considering all the damn sci-fi movies out there, one would think there would be many lessons that could be learnt from them.

The first mistake would be to make cyborg servants with the intelligence of humans(True AI). Would you like it if your microwave talked back to you for not cleaning it out, then became vindictive and overheated your food? I think not!!!

So, I would guess that any sort of cyborg would have advanced AI that is only in relation to doing the activities that it is programmed for, as apposed to creating a human like AI that mimics humans in every way, shape, and form. Taking these "humanoids" and using them as servants would be unwise, especially considering the abusive nature of people toward not only others, but also themselves.

So, in response to my feelings on all this:

Me:Robot, MAKE ME A SANDWICH!!!!

Cyborg:Yes, master. You look mighty comfy, sitting there, doing nothing at all...wasting your time and my time....

Me:What are you doing Robot? Why are you going into the living room; I said to make me a sandwich? No, ROBOT, put the gaming system DOWN!!!! For the Love of all that is sweet and bountiful, what are you doing to my Nintendo Game-Octagon 3!!!!

ROBOT....NOOOOOOOO, why couldn't it of been the N-Gage 6 instead....

[Knightsword]

Please note, a cyborg has to be originally organic in nature. Think, Major Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell) in the extream, total body replacement with the human brain left. Or the Six-Million Dollar man in the lesser, just replacement of a few body parts. Otherwise the correct term to use is ether robot or android

[Crushinator]

Like Knightsword said, Cyborgs by definition are organic beings augmented by technology. What you are thinking about are automatons, robots that act on their own, without being directly controlled by a human.

As far as introducing them into society, I think that keeping the robots in a non-humanoid appearance would be best. People would get unsettled with machines that look to much like them walking around doing menial tasks.

I love robots, but I don't think people are ready to have them as a real part of our culture now.


EDIT: Coincidentally I just ran across some articles talking about this exact subject, robots (and virtual characters) looking too much like real people.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2102086

http://www.arclight.net/~pdb/glimpses/valley.html

[Knightsword]

This topic got me reading the original Ghost in the Shell manga and it is a good source of info on the subject too (in the appendex section and through out the manga), Masamune Shirow really knows his stuff.

[DivA]

[Crushinator]

The terminator is an Android, a robot created to look like a human. Their outer flesh is created in the lab (at least the T-800), and while it may be living (like how Arnold grafts his arm onto that scientist in T2) they are definetly robots first, with "fake" skin outside.

As far as "cutting them slack," think about it. You go into an automobile factory and you see robotic arms building vehicles, saudering door, etc etc and you wouldn't blink twice. But if you were in there and you saw human-looking robots, walking on their hind legs, moving around picking things up and putting them on the cars you would definetely be going in for a closer look. From a distance you'd think they were people working on the car, and then when you see they are androids, you realize you'd have been fooled in an illusion.

Of course everyone would deal with it differently, and yes people in general would EVENTUALLY get used to it if it became a staple of our culture, but initial acceptance of robots everywhere is something I feel most of America (not the world) is not ready for.

[AC9breaker]

You say that not all of us are muffinheads, but the sad fact is there are still a large amount out there who are. If one of those muffinheads where actually a person of great wealth or significance, they could influence an android Genocide a~la "The Matrix's: The Second Renissance" Reason being is that although our government may seem as it is for the people, It is really here to serve the elite of our country not us, the common average blue collor workers.

Also, after seeing the movie recently "A.I.(Artificial Intelligence)" The events and actions portrayed in it, all seem very plausible which I think would lead me to beileve that our society can't handle those kinds of androids. Of course, it is just a movie and I do think we are able to accept and that eventually we would get use to them. But rather as having them do meaningless tasks such as taking out the trash or doinng dishes. I would leave to see them do things we as human beings can't do. Such as deep space exploration, or really, really, deep see exploring.

Me, I personnaly enjoy robots and would love to see one. But what I would prefer the most would be a giant Mech more.

[Knightsword]

I'm more afraid of the ghost in shell future, not so much because of cyborgs/androids, but because of how the brain becomes another hackable computer. Your memories could be altered or erased, your body taken over and other such things

[Marn]

Any other thing on this earth, machine or natural, having the ability to reason or human-level intelligence cannot be good for such a backstabbing, unstable, cruel civilization like humans. Because eventually they'd realize many humans are a bunch of jackasses and kill us all.