When I met my Korean student last week, I shared with her one of my observations from China: the robots.
Last year, I was fascinated by the police robot cars patrolling the streets, which lined up with busy shops. After returning to New York City and reading about shop robbery crimes here, I thought about these robot cars. It would be super cool if these robot police were here in NYC, where crime rates are higher than in most big cities in the world.
I told my student, this year I saw more of them in China, such as at restaurants serving food, hotels cleaning rooms, and airports providing information. They seem more integrated, narrowing their distance with humans.
My student asked me, 'What do you think will happen next year in Beijing?' I'm not exactly sure what will happen, but I believe robots will eventually integrate into human life, becoming members of families and providing physical and emotional support, as well as playing roles in companionship and caregiving in China's aging market. Even my sister looks forward to having a 机器人保姆, a robot babysitter.
To achieve this, advancements in AI technology are necessary to close the gap between machines and humans.
Of course, some concerns arise with it, such as privacy and boundaries. Additionally, among seniors and vulnerable populations, there are reasonable concerns about potential economic exploitation and emotional manipulation by emotionally intelligent robots.
Many young people worry that robots are taking over more and more jobs traditionally performed by humans.
Those who rely on robots for emotional support and companionship could potentially become dependent on technology to fulfill their emotional needs.
These close human-robot interactions are not all blessings. Humans become humans because of human environments. Just imagine how much a child would miss if he spends most of his waking hours with a robot companion.
While it might be natural for someone like me, a worrisome head, to have concerns about the possible robot intrusion in human life, at least we should be aware of both opportunities and challenges involved and open up dialogues so we can proactively maximize benefits and minimize risks.