Replacing things with robots is a common theme of sci fi movies. R2D2 and co are now so much a part of our vision of the future that when robots really do come along, we’ll probably not even realise it. Of course, once the robot revolution then starts it’ll be too late and we’ll all be imprisoned by evil metal masters, but that’s just the risk we run I guess.
Of course robots won’t be amongst us for years right? Wrong. Japanese primary school students are already being taught by a robot named Saya. She looks convincingly human, and is multilingual, can set lesson tasks, call the register and even get angry when kids start misbehaving. Just like a real teacher.
Fifteen years of research have gone into Saya, in an effort to make robots available in Japanese homes by 2015. She was initially designed as a receptionist for Tokyo university, and is part of a plan to let companies cut costs by replacing their human office staff with robots with a range of human expressions. Other robts are already used in Japan as traffic wardens, and there is currently one in development as a companion to Alzheimer’s sufferers. So I guess the question on everyone lips is what would you do with your very own robot? And more importantly, should we really be replacing human jobs with them?
Inventor Professor Hirohi Kobayashi believes that in just a few years we’ll have perfected robots with all the capabilities of a two year old child. Now, I’m not sure how I feel about trusting a two year old to teach the next generation, direct my call or even tidy my kitchen, but if they can get it up to the mentality of ten year old then things will start to really pick up. I just hope they skip out the teenage years- imagine your hormonal robot servant stealing the car and getting impregnated after a one night stand with your microwave…
One thought on “Ever think your teacher was a robot? She could be by 2015…”
I am amazed at the pace with which the technology is taking mankind forward. All Kidos to Japanese techies!!