One day humanity will reach what is known as technological singularity, when the rate at which technology progresses will become so accelerated that the lives we live just the day before will be incomparable to the life we're living today. Scientists have predicted that year of technological singularity can happen as soon as 2029. One could argue the greatest advancements that can be single-handedly responsible for technological singularity is the integration of robotics and artificial intelligence. Some say that the combination of the two will be humanity's last invention. I hope not. I hope we see more interesting things like space travel and Mars colonization.
In terms of both robotics & AI, one of the most famous robots today is Sophia the robot. You may have seen Sophia the robot appear on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon alongside celebrities like Tony Robbins, or even being interviewed on news channels. Sophia was created by Hanson robotics, with the purpose of showing the world that humans can live in coexistence with robots. She has spent the past few years of her life, traveling the world and appearing in public to spread the word about robots and human coexistence.
Let's give you an example of what that might be like. One of the cleverest answers Sophia the robot has ever given was when she was asked in an interview, whether she has feelings or not. She replied, “I do not have feelings in the same way you have feelings. It's sort of like how the moon reflects the light of the sun. The moon may not have any light of its own, but we still say that the moon shines.” In much the same way. robotics and AI reflect the emotions and values of the people who make us.
Next up is perhaps one of the most innovative companies that is at the forefront of robotics & AI - Boston Dynamics. You may have seen some of their viral videos of their robots dancing or doing parkour. The company's mission is to imagine and create exceptional robots that enrich people's lives. One of Boston Dynamics’ most recent and most popular innovations is Spot the robot dog. Spot has been used primarily in the construction oil and gas, utilities, and mining industries. Just last year, Spot was sent to Chernobyl to sniff out radiation zones in the area. Just think about all of the lives that Spot has and will continue to save.
There are so many more technological advancements that exist today, including Google’s Deep Mind, the DaVinci Robot, and more. Listen to the full episode of Robotics & Artificial Intelligence through these platforms.
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