These robots are scary

Or is it just me?

The new Feelix Growing project represents a potentially drastic change to the way society functions – where robots will eventually become companions to all of us – just like pets.

We’ve all fantasised about having an R2-D2-type friend of our own – and the robots being developed as part of this project could see a lot of the sci-fi ideas from the silver screen played out as part of our own lives.


It wouldn’t be the first time sci-fi writers have given us an accurate insight into the world of the future. A couple of months ago (Shopper 249), we had a look at sci-fi predictions, and how films and TV shows of the past have played a part in shaping what the future looks like. While, we’re still light years away from having flying cars and teleporters, it’s frightening how similar the worlds of our imagination 20-odd years ago and the one we live in today have become.

Blade Runner (1982) - Shanghai (2008)

And if the future plays out like our imaginations have predicted, there’s no reason why robots can’t become a part of our lifestyle.

But while there have been some lovable robots:

Not all robots have turned out to be quite so friendly:

And it’s intriguing to see if, when and how our own lives will eventually be affected by the Feelix Growing robots - because let’s make no mistake – these aren’t the same sort of robots we’re used to seeing in toy stores that have pre-programmed actions and very limited responses – they’re much more intelligent.

Feelix Growing group coordinator, Dr Lola Cañamero , told Shopper that the robots can’t just be taken off the shelf and put into a real-life setting, they need to interact with humans to adapt to our environment. They can recognise your facial expressions, judge your mood according to your voice, and learn about human relationships, such as the one between a mother and child.

Cañamero also told us that the team is working on robots with human appearance. Not only will they understand your emotions, but when they express their own mood, they'll be able to provoke emotional reactions from their owner.

But - let's stay realistic - isn’t this all just a bit of harmless fun; having a robot around the house to interact with, that can help you do your washing up and laundry, and keep you company when you’re bored? Of course it is.

For now, anyway.

But anything that paves the way to developing entities with recursive artificial intelligence is potentially very dangerous. If you were looking for one person in the UK who can tell us about the threats that robots could pose to the human race, they don’t get much better than the director of the Future of Humanity Institute at University of Oxford – Dr Nick Bostrom. A little while ago (Shopper 248) he told Shopper:

“If you consider our own history, there was once a thriving species of Neanderthals and they’re gone. It’s the same factor that gives human beings a dominant position on this planet. It’s not because we have stronger muscles or sharper fangs, but because we have brains that enable us to develop culture, science and technology.”

“Anything that has more brains than us can develop more technology, more quickly – including powerful weapons technologies. It could also come up with strategies and plots far more quickly and would therefore be extremely powerful, for the same reason that human beings are very powerful relative to bears and lions.”

But for now, we're just too excited at the thought of our own personal R2-D2s to even care.