Personhood in Science Fiction by Juli L. Gittinger

Author:Juli L. Gittinger
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030300623
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

It is an important question: What are our motivations for creating artificial beings and what are the qualities we wish to impart? Is it merely a technological version of the pioneer imperative, to “go West!” and push boundaries of knowledge? Do we imagine that our lives would be simplified, improved, or even exalted by such innovations? Or, as Herzfeld suggests, is this the God-element within us: the urge to create life?

It seems we have been following this imperative, as our technology more closely resembles our selves. Human-like, cybernetic beings populate science fiction narratives, but the robotic creatures of our present reality also take humanoid forms. One such robot is NAO, mentioned earlier, created by SoftBank Robotics. NAO is used worldwide in education and research, as well as for companionship and entertainment. It is described as “58cm in height, NAO is a bipedal robot with pleasantly rounded features. NAO has constantly evolved since the beginning of his adventure in 2006 and the 6th version (NAO6), launched in 2018, integrates a new CPU which enhances his performance” (SoftBank Robotics website). The small, child-like figure is almost cartoonish, cute. The robot is expressly designed to generate “an empathetic link” with students and researchers.

For an example of a larger scale model, there is Toyota’s T-HR3 robot, which is designed “to meet people’s unique mobility needs” (Toyota 2017). This robot is more skeletal and machine-like, but most certainly human in form. At this point in Toyota’s research, the robot is addressing disability technologies and requires a human operator to maneuver it, although there is a hopeful goal of producing autonomous robot assistants. “The Partner Robot team members are committed to using the technology in T-HR3 to develop friendly and helpful robots that coexist with humans and assist them in their daily lives. Looking ahead, the core technologies developed for this platform will help inform and advance future development of robots to provide ever-better mobility for all,” said Akifumi Tamaoki, general manager of Toyota’s Partner Robot Division (Ackerman 2017). Like NAO, the “Partner Robots” are imagined to be autonomous and intelligent machines that would have intuitive responses to the needs of the disabled person, and provide both companionship and aid—very similar to assistance dogs.

Automation is one thing—we have had it for decades, from robotic car assembly lines to the computerized customer service operator that directs our phone calls. Autonomy is something different—an independent robot, intelligent (not necessarily conscious) enough to function without control or oversight, with programming that is adaptive and that can learn. Self-driving cars would be an example of this. And the truth is, we already have artificial intelligence. Computers can play chess, fly planes, interpret medical information, compose symphonies, and a number of other complex tasks that have algorithmic and heuristic aspects. It would be more accurate to say that we are standing on the precipice of artificial consciousness, or even more precisely, artificial life forms with (real) consciousness.

To create an artificial life form with consciousness would be the real God move, the proverbial “breath” blown into the being to give it life.

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