At 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, December 14th, Google became aware of Boston Dynamics

Google has acquired Boston Dynamics, a company that builds robots that mimic the movements of humans and animals with stunning dexterity and speed.

”We are looking forward to this next chapter in robotics and in what we can accomplish as part of the Google team,” Boston Dynamics co-founder Marc Raibert said via email.

Google buys maker of fascinating, creepy robots

We've always taken it as science fiction that we would someday be living with robots in our daily lives, or perhaps our children would, or maybe our grandchildren. But for anyone that has seen Google's self-driving cars or Boston Dynamics' incredible robots, it's clear that future is now and is no longer science fiction.



I've been saying for sometime that we will be thinking of these as the good old days; the times we didn't have to wait for a robot to tell us we can cross the street, where we can park our cars or scurrying around sniffing us at airports and otherwise meddling in our daily lives.

But it's more than that.

Although the international discussions have begun to possibly outlaw robots from killing people, the fact remains that it is not illegal to build a killer robot. As abhorent as they are, I'm not talking about flying drones that kill from the sky; ultimately these are controlled by people. I'm referring to completely autonomous machines that are executing decision patterns programmed into their software with no human intervention. Think that the armies of the world haven't been working on what must be their ultimate dream?

StopKillerRobots.org

And it's not just killing. Think racial profiling such as that of security guard George Zimmerman is a problem? What of profiling algorithms embedded in robot behavioral programs? Is it illegal for a robot to profile?

The next step gets even more dicey, as scientists fine tune the ability to read brain waves. Autonomous Google robots that can read our minds, is that so futuristic now?



I'm not peddling doom porn here, saying the future is a dark place like that in the Terminator movies, but rather raising awareness that we need to start discussing these issues seriously as a democratic society. The pace of advancement is far outstripping our civilization's ability to absorb these changes. Take the current US Congress, which is in perpetual deadlock and has resolved the fewest number of issues in it's history. Ever.

Do our current governmental bodies have what it takes to sort out the complex issues raised by these technologies? What will happen when a Google autonomous car accidentally kills its first pedestrian? A Boston Dynamics robot violates the civil rights of a citizen? Hackers seize control of armed robotic soldiers?

Until recently, I would have thought these issues as being far in the future, in part because the robots are complex, expensive and few in numbers. But companies like Google have shown they have deep pockets and the resources to put their ideas out on the street, such as the street view camera cars, whether we're prepared for it or not. And if Google is building robots, how long until competitors such as Microsoft, Apple and others follow suit?

Google's acquisition of Boston Dynamics should be raising a few eyebrows and prompting some discussion. If not, I hope that we have a Sarah Connor in our midst...

reply to post by Chronon


Technophobes have to hate.

Personally, I think that if the PTB really wanted us dead, they would have done so and we wouldn't be here discussing about it.

I personally think that this robotic advance is wonderful. Couple with "mind read" technology, it has the potential to give paralyzed people the chance to move again.

As a actual owner of an AI, it is my opinion that Terninator and Skynet are hilariously far-fetched when I compare with what's been developed until now.

One must not confuse Hollywood with Reality.

Nevertheless, I appreciate your concern. S&F for a sensible post.

swanne
As a actual owner of an AI, it is my opinion that Terninator and Skynet are hilariously far-fetched when I compare with what's been developed until now.

One must not confuse Hollywood with Reality.

Raises hand.

I'd love to see your AI. Sounds very interesting. Have any photos, videos, examples? I've always found the whole AI topic fascinating to say the least.

Thanks in advance ...

reply to post by Chronon


Meet Atlas, several of his brothers will be competing this coming week:

DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Trials at Florida’s Homestead Miami Speedway, December 20-21, 2013

Started thread on it, all the robots are BD




other thread

DRC Trials


If anyone is thinking of being able to fight them, check out what they can already do, without weapons.

Nice find.

I wonder if they will have them primed for any of their planned space ventures? It will be a hell of a lot cheaper than a human crew, although humans will probably be used as well, to maintain robots, programme orders and the like.

Very interesting move I feel.

reply to post by SLAYER69


I have Isomer Programming's AARON software, which mimics human brain activity.

AARON

It won a prize, and it's really great, but it's not as efficient as a human brain, that's for sure. I read somewhere that human brain is the most complex computer in existence. And when I use AARON, I tend to agree...

reply to post by swanne


Thanks for the link. checking it out now. In the meantime Aren't mimicking and a true AI two completely different things?

Or am I mistaken here

SLAYER69
In the meantime Aren't mimicking and a true AI two completely different things?

Or am I mistaken here

Dunno. But how do we define "true AI"? Food for thought...

reply to post by swanne



I dunno I've read a few things about AIs a few years back and the definition given seems a bit elusive in my opinion. I guess for me its really having a mind of its own and not some very complicated algorithm designed to mimic the human thought process but rather have a will of its own and quite frankly argue, debate and win and lose arguments etc. Actually make mistakes and learn from it's mistakes etc.

I also work in the technology field, in software although not in robotics or AI. In the name of profits and greed, our clients routinely ask us to exploit the rights of their customers. It's not illegal, but I also wish there was more public discussion and transparency into what we are doing.

If someone had had told me 10 years ago that every letter delivered to my home is being photographed, every phone call recorded, my movements tracked 24/7 by my cellphone's location, I would have said they are paranoid. As recent news has shown, this is happening on a more massive scale than perhaps anyone imagined. And it's not just the government. For instance, Google has photographed every house in my town, including taking a picture of my wife and my car and posted it on the net. There was no discussion and no vote.

No one considered what a society would be like if there was no expectation of privacy, where every citizen is a public figure. The law is at least 10 years behind what we in the technology field are doing. And so the awareness I am raising in regards to the next wave of technology, robots, is that we have an opportunity be involved in our own destiny, to have a say, to be a democracy.

Our society has the culmination of many century's worth of law and ethics governing the interactions between people and people, and businesses and people. I am no lawyer, but doubt there is much legislation on the books governing the actions of autonomous machines and their interactions with people. Is a machine required to respect my civil rights? Will autonomous robots inherit the rights of their owners? What are the limits?

As someone who works in the technology field, I wish there was more public discussion about what we are building and more definitions about what is ethical and what is not. At least then I might have some protection when a client requires that I work on their greed machine, trampling the rights of their own customers in the name of profits. If you are working in AI or autonomous robotics, ask yourself what will you do when you are required by a client or employer to go beyond your ethical limits? Are you willing to lose your job? Should you even be put in that position or would it be better if we as a society do our part and discuss these issues publicly?

reply to post by Cobaltic1978


Actually, nasa has developed a humanoid robot, also confirmed this week (it's been a BIG week for robotics and AI) for just this purpose. Meet Valkyrie:

www.space.com...

Damn thing looks like a cylon, lol. While a lot of people are nervous about all that is happening I'm excited as hell about it. I'm finally starting to see the future I was promised as a kid.

SLAYER69
reply to post by swanne

 

Thanks for the link. checking it out now. In the meantime Aren't mimicking and a true AI two completely different things?

Or am I mistaken here

I agree. That is not an AI. It can never be more than what it's programmed to be. It's a very complex program, but not an AI. An AI is self aware.

reply to post by OccamsRazor04


Isn't self-awareness something nearly impossible for an artificial network to achieve, at least for the near future? One must remember that even animals aren't self-aware (except a handful of species), even though many of them have a neural network far more complex than any current "AI" system. Just playing the devil's advocate here.

reply to post by swanne


I agree. Which is why what we call AI is not truly AI. It's not even on the level of non-aware animals.

What they can do is amazing. How far they are from the real thing makes you appreciate how amazing the real thing truly is.

reply to post by Chronon

I'm not peddling doom porn here, saying the future is a dark place like that in the Terminator movies, but rather raising awareness that we need to start discussing these issues seriously as a democratic society. The pace of advancement is far outstripping our civilization's ability to absorb these changes. Take the current US Congress, which is in perpetual deadlock and has resolved the fewest number of issues in it's history. Ever.

.

A "democratic society?"

I think I did not get the memo that declared that these globalist blokes

twoday.net...


www.truthcontrol.com...

.
futurenewstoday.blogspot.com...


- - -

had, out of the saintliness of their demonized black hearts,

decided to abandon all the institutionalized and growing tyranny

and give us the shockingly unique miracle of a genuinely "democratic society."

And just where is this "democratic society" hiding? I haven't noticed it lying around anywhere.

All I observe on virtually every existential and governmentally monitored and engineered corner is utter and increasing tyranny on multiple levels.

Or are you talking about some renegade moon colony or Mars base?

/sar


The fantasies of a "democratic society" are dead for the foreseeable future. They have skinned it; shredded the body and are tanning the hide.

THE CHOICES ARE:

1. A devoted love servant of Almighty God the Father, Son, Spirit

or

2. A totally enslaved, consumed, chipped, mind controlled, mind bent, robotized, demonized cog in the great satanic globalist machine--ultimately literally worshiping a literal satan.

There are NOT a lot of choices, at this point . . . much less "democratic" choices.

Essentially . . . it will be the literal machine robots and the biological formerly human robots on the landscape . . . and some renegade unmartyred authentic Christians & Messianic Jews supernaturally aided and protected by THE BOSS.

There won't be much else scurrying about the landscape . . . except for some beleaguered animal species still surviving all the radiation, bio-engineered plagues, quakes, volcanoes etc.

I wish the above were merely my fantasy. Sadly, the evidence is overwhelmingly otherwise.
.

reply to post by Chronon


"... became aware of ..." ???

When it comes to AI and robotics the people won't matter. Decisions on what is created and how it is used will be based on either economics or military/intelligence desires.

Expensive? You bet. So are MRAPs at nearly $3/4 mil each yet DHS "needs" 8,000 of them. Mine resistant vehicles for use in the US? Over a billion rounds of ammo? Cost hardly seems an issue.

Drones are robots and when wedded with AI things getting scary indeed.

Mass production and miniaturization will create fleets of tiny drones and robots that can operate in any and all environments.

They have all the technology needed to create such and I wouldn't be surprised to discover they had already secretly made thousands upon thousands in anticipation of mass deployment.

It's been proven time and again that governments and corporations cannot be trusted to not violate our rights or privacy. "Hoping" they won't do something is recipe for disaster.

How many thousands of dead Pakistanis does it take for people to accept that armed drones are unacceptable in any skies? Waziristan is not a warzone.

We'll will all be living around these devices, every facet of our lives scanned, sniffed and analyzed with sensors and it will all be perfectly legal. We get out of line they won't hesitate to use these robots to control or destroy us. This isn't up for debate, it's a certain eventuality unless the current PTB are somehow deposed.

Asahi working on the perfect beer dispensing robot

I stand corrected!

lacrimoniousfinale
reply to post by Chronon

 

"... became aware of ..." ???

It's a quote from the Terminator...geek that I am.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


"How many thousands of dead Pakistanis does it take for people to accept that armed drones are unacceptable in any skies? Waziristan is not a warzone".

To be honest the fact that the USA intelligence agencies run an assassination campaign of dubious effectiveness and morality says nothing about the technology itself.

The 'drones' issue is a red herring. A convenient boogeyman. Its blaming the rifle for the actions of the infantryman.The exact same policy could be implemented by other means and the morality of it would be altered not one jot.