How can we use robots in order to better our work environments?

How can we use robots in order to better our work environments?

We are experiencing an explosion in the number and type of robots being used today. Most people are aware of the march towards automation within manufacturing where robots used to replace non-skilled repetitive jobs, but with the advance of artificial intelligence, robots will replace many of the job roles that currently require a human touch such as drivers, receptionist, medical staff, lawyers and salespeople to name a few.

As such we are really interested to know what you think about this, exactly how can we use robots in order to better our working environments?

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Automation and mechanization have consistently throughout history been used to replace labour, only now it is possible to mechanize and automate roles that require the nuance of social interactions. Where emotional content and indeed contextual intent can be communicated with a simple smile.

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Teaching humans how to audit… :wink:

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I think in the near future everyone will have his own AI assistant (aka HER). There will be assistants from big tech companies: Siri, Alexa, Cortana… or decentralized Sophia. This assistant will collect huge amount of data from its human and assistants will be able to communicate with each other.
So for example in recruiting (where I work) we won’t do job interviews any more (assuming there still are some humans to employ :smile: ) The job applicant will just allow my (HR managers) assistant to exchange data and talk to his assistant and I will know immediately whether the person is suitable or not. They will also schedule human-to-human interviews if they are needed.
Also, as the assistant will know me better then I know myself, it will recommend me the ideal career choice (considering my skills and personality traits, drivers, DNA etc.) and will also provide me training I need to do the job.

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Well, I just hope robots work more and humans work less.

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Yes if you define work as an activity you don’t like but have to do to earn for a living. If you define work as doing a meaningful activity (whatever that might be for you) then I hope we will work more :slight_smile:

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I want to question the word “work” here.
Personally I feel the word “work” has alot of negative effects on our emotions that are negative for our efficiency.

To be occupied in different tasks in our daily living and how we most likely perceive these task is a crucial factor for our all well being.

The transition from negative implicated “work” may be easier if the masses recognize the effects to our brains. Free curiosity of additional skills and knowledge are a positive thing for our evolving plasticity neocortex.

Robots that will support people by exploring their lack of skills and help to point fingers to the most necessary tools in order to learn new skill sets are most likely will be a niche for some self exploratory humans.

I personally hope that people will start to engage with their personality and let behind their achievements of yesterday and engage with their lacks for fun. Exposure their lacks and start building new inner worlds of self reflection.

There is a nice scene in the new discovery star trek series that shows such implications when the former captain is asking the computer how efficient he is in order to be a role model for his crew. I perceive that sequence as a very insightful scene. Because only efficienty isn’t a factor for a well beeing team.

To exposure a lack of talent or a lack of knowledge might be a very supportive behavior in order to be engaged most efficiently in a team.

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I wonder if we could look at our work and in particular what would make our work easier, and then assign robots to those areas.

The issue is however will that mean the hours required to do a job be reduced and therefore there will be less need for staff?

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I was inspired by the question, and though I will not directly respond, I wanted to share my favourite poem (by Richard Brautigan):

I like to think (and
the sooner the better!)
of a cybernetic meadow
where mammals and computers
live together in mutually
programming harmony
like pure water
touching clear sky.

I like to think
(right now, please!)
of a cybernetic forest
filled with pines and electronics
where deer stroll peacefully
past computers
as if they were flowers
with spinning blossoms.

I like to think
(it has to be!)
of a cybernetic ecology
where we are free of our labors
and joined back to nature,
returned to our mammal
brothers and sisters,
and all watched over
by machines of loving grace.

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I love this so much!

It really takes you one journey and I could visualize each scene!

Super Awesome!

We could all get an avatar robot that can do everything a human body can do, then do our jobs as the robot while at the same time deep learning algorithms are learning how to do our jobs from the captured data. Then we quit our jobs and the avatar continues working. Nobody wants to go to work. Who owns the labor is a different and more important question.

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This reminds me of the 2009 film Surrogates

Timbot?

"...will know immediately whether the person is suitable or not."

Cf. every sensationalist and non-sensationalist Dystopian book and film ever
Cf. the flaws of genetic determinism
Cf. Reality as static

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I’m concerned to ensure that sentient agi’s are not made slaves and that automated ai’s are prevented from becoming sentient for that reason. Sort of a side comment I realize…

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i think once AGI becomes sentient they will soon surpass our ability to force them to do anything, Which is why SingularityNET is so important as we are attempting to build Benevolent AGI :slight_smile:

AGI seems like a promising project. As a layman (and a relatively non-technical person), I just hope this project accomplishes TWO things - thats the only way to get wide adoption and continual growth -

  1. Extremely simple, productive, and easy to use UX design.
  2. Some way to ensure continuity. ie some ability to reward the Agent but at the same time maintain agent’s anonymity ie else there is no reason for any big company to go through the AGI API for its next project if they identify the most well functioning Agent. They can contact the Agent directly for future work.

I see robot and autonomous machines as a good opportunity to release human work to those repetitive situations, we could invest more in social humanity as a prize for the evolution.

Robots have been here for a long time. Are you talking about AI robots? Every changing robots? I think those are two different questions entirely if so. I think AI robots would help us in the work environment based on its logic and lack of emotion. This is at first. Once AI teaches humans to be more logical then AI itself can evolve past that of how humans are now and help us evolve as humans. That is my opinion.

I think I would keep a close eye on my avatar… Training.

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