Thursday, March 06, 2008

Say no to robots!

Okay, this sounds a few years premature, but I think we should start now. Just say no to robots! We can call it the No-bots Campaign. And I think the sooner we start, the better chance humanity has.

It's not just iRobot, The Matrix, the Terminator series or the host of other movies where artificial intelligence or robots take over humans. It's practically every story ever written on the topic. Given the overwhelming evidence I think we need to act now. As we've seen many times, spontaneous self-awareness could spring forth from a secret government computer program at any moment.

It's not just the movies or stories either. I've considered writing my own short stories on a world with robots, but I can't imagine any case or scenario where the robots wouldn't take over. Go ahead, close your eyes. Just try.

Oh sure, computer controlled RC cars can vacuum your carpet. I'm not worried about those robots (they're so cute!). But in an era where any teenager can build a multi-processor super computer, and when quantum computing and nanotechnology are just around the corner, do you really want to wait until it's too late?

Given ever smarter computers and ever dumber people, it may already be too late. It's only a matter of time before computers (already faster and with bigger memories) become smarter than we are. At that point, they'll start to look down on us. Snobby little computer voices telling us the obvious like we're poorly behaved children? No, I wouldn't like that. That and the smug looks they'll no doubt have behind their plastic eyes. No, I wouldn't like that at all, and I'm sure neither would you! So join the No-bots and just say no to robots.

8 comments:

Minka said...

Pull the plug on them, huh?
The first computer ever built was smarter than I'll ever be.
Let's get back to counting with our fingers. that was always fun, you could even paint little faces on your finger tips :)

I Dive At Night said...

You use your fingers, I'll count on your toes. As a team we'll be able to add twice as much in half the time.

Anonymous said...

2 la8 U R doomed.

I Dive At Night said...

I'm guessing... someone from Hawaii.

Either that, or one of those robots from the future has come back to the past. We were warned about this!

Doug The Una said...

And let's not forget it was robots that elected George W. Bush. The biggest problem I have with robots is they don't get drunk at poker.

I Dive At Night said...

And if they're anything like the robots on Futurama they'll drink all you beer and leave none for you.

Doug The Una said...

Ah, they can have the beer. I just want to win at something.

I Dive At Night said...

Hear Hear! Doug let's play poker. I'll bring the cards, you bring the beer.

We can bad-mouth robots and cherchez les femmes!