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Week 12: Future of Labour



I would like you to read/watch and comment on/discuss the presentation Future of Labour - 
How many tasks is it possible to hand over to robots?
You will find it at  
 Comment on  it here.

Comments

Technology always moves forward, so it seems it's only natural that better robots are designed every day. This way it looks as of robots will be able to replace humans in nearly every job - the development of a real, perfect AI is only a matter of time. How much time will it take? That I don't know. I do hope to see at least part of it though.
I believe that the inevitable course of action, in the long run of course, would be robots replacing humans in every job. I think that there would still be need for humans to supervise those robots or to perhaps fill the "functions" the robots are simply incapable to fulfill (or take over when other people aren't comfortable with a robot). Anyways, people will sure have a lot more of free time and the way a society works would change completely - if robots do all the work there is no need for people to work, therefore the concept of money and buying would need reconsidering in the very least.
Natalia said…
I hope that we will be able to see it :) The last stage in my opinion will be giving birth to children, which would be from one side against the nature but from other very profitable for whole human race. Both scenarios are bad if this creatures would be against me. There is no difference if I would be killed by human or by robot. If I have to choose I would preffer robots as for example servants because they are more predictable than humans.
Probably yes and I don't want to live as long to see it.
Tomek said…
I think most production lines can be fully automated. Only some luxury products are made fully by hand. Producers often justify this by saying that machines cannot get as precise but I find it hard to believe.
In terms of autonomous cars, I’ve already made a presentation about it for our classes. Cars already employ quite a few systems that help the driver on the road like automatic brakes. We need a bit more time to make them better drivers but this goal is definitely within our reach.
Drones seem like a more distant future. I have used one and it can’t fly for a long time. It can be easily affected by wind and isn’t very durable. It would be nice to have packages delivered at any hour and to any place fast but right now I don’t think it’s a viable solution.
I think that in time humans will be replaced be machines in many more activates that it is nowadays. This topic is similar to the one in previous week about autonomic cars. Technological advance is something that cannot be stopped whether we like it or not. Machines are much better workers than humans. They don’t get tired, they don’t care about their working environment and they don’t know what is a bad day. From the employer’s point of view they outrank humans in every possible way.

The other thing is if the same benefits come for the employees. We face a problem of global unemployment on a level not seen in history. What then? Where are all those people get money needed to survive? From governments, global companies, I really don’t know. What I know for certain is that the economy as we know it nowadays will have to end.

But I think that we are still far from achieving that state. You must remember that machines had to have some form of intelligence to replace humans in 100% ( I don’t really think that it is even possible) . nowadays a computer or a machine basically solves equations and act according to the results. Of course you can add countless variables to simulate different situations, but it is impossible to predict every possible situation. And even if you can do that humans have the ability to see a bigger picture. Healthcare is the best example. We spend millions of dollars to cure people that are in old age. Form the economical point of view that is completely uses act. But as a humanity we developed some bigger values like human life being priceless. You can’t put something like that into an equation. We are a strange species. For us (in real life) the same equation, with the same variables, can have totally deferent result depending on our point of view and the circumstances.
lukasz-anwajler said…
To what extent is it possible to repleace human in any job?

I think we can replace humans from every single job - it's just the matter of time. If you have doubts, just take a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFrjrgBV8K0 (btw nice comment: "the only thing more terrifying than a robot that walks like a man... is a robot that wears a gas mask.")

What scenario would you prefer to happen: robots everywhere or humans?

I'd prefer robots to replace us when we are in danger (hazardous environment) and boring jobs.

Looking at above examples - do you believe robots will ever get to the point where their intelligence will produce consciousness as outcome?

Just today I saw a movie trailer about similar issue :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCTen3-B8GU

I think that it is possible, it's all about level of complexity. I'd say that in 50 years it'll become reality.
Seisyll said…
To what extent is it possible to repleace human in any job?
Right now not everywhere, but we are working on it. Robotics are going forward what allows in creation of even more complicated machines and which are able to do even more complicated tasks. It won't happen now or in 50 years I think, but we are working on it

What scenario would you prefer to happen: robots everywhere or humans?
I prefer utopian scenario. Robots work, humans do more fun stuff like searching for new planets, travelling to the ends of the world and such.

Looking at above examples - do you believe robots will ever get to the point where their intelligence will produce consciousness as outcome?
That would be really amazing, but I don't think it is possible for them to create their own consciousness. This "intelligence" is really matter of programming certain algorithms which allow them to perform very specified tasks. That isn't even near to something which would evolve into consciousness. I believe that the first Artificial Intelligence would rather be created by man than by robots "evolving".
Unknown said…
I think robots are very useful, more reliable in some specific circumstances then humans. Robots never complains but on the other hand they need maintenance and repairs. I don’t think idea of replacing humans everywhere will be good for us. Robots, drones, machines should support humans but not replacing them completely and we should keep their intelligence on basic level :D Everybody knows Terminator movie :D

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