In this blog post, we will look at how AI robots are changing our daily lives and society, and the possibility of the risks we are concerned about becoming a reality.
What comes to mind when you hear the word robot? Many people will think of a robot that looks similar to a human and has human-level intelligence. Numerous robots depicted in movies and novels have instilled such an image in the public. In particular, robots that talk like humans and learn on their own have been very popular in many science fiction works. If robots with such intelligence can be properly used in our lives, there is no doubt that our lives will become more convenient. For example, if there were a robot that could perform the role of a secretary or housekeeper, it would be possible to reduce the time spent on time management and household chores. If this were to become a reality, robots would likely be established as important companions to humans, rather than just machines. In particular, if there were a nursing robot that could help the elderly in an aging society, it would be possible to significantly improve the quality of life of individuals while reducing social costs.
However, despite these advantages, some people are concerned that if robots become intelligent, the roles of humans and robots will be reversed, and humans will be dominated by robots. I believe that these people’s fears are just a figment of their imagination from science fiction movies, and are just a vague fear of something new that they have not yet experienced. In particular, anxiety about AI and robots may be a natural defense mechanism for humans against unknown technologies. For example, in the past, even electricity caused anxiety in people, and the same fear existed when cars first appeared. As such, new technologies are bound to evoke both fear and expectation.
Before discussing whether robots with artificial intelligence are positive or negative for humanity, it is necessary to clearly define artificial intelligence. This can be seen by looking at the purpose of developing this technology, which is to benefit human life through programs that make rational judgments in given environments and conditions. For example, in the medical field, AI is playing a role in assisting diagnosis and helping medical staff make decisions. AI has helped to improve treatment efficiency and enable quick and accurate diagnosis by finding patterns in vast amounts of data. As such, AI is being used as a tool to improve people’s lives. Nevertheless, there are still concerns that it could threaten human jobs, but most experts argue that AI and humans can work together to produce better results.
But will this rational judgment harm humans? This is what most people are concerned about. In fact, the future in which intelligent robots oppress humans has been a recurring theme in numerous science fiction works. The robots in the movie “I, Robot” have the primary goal of protecting humans, but they “judge” humans to be a harmful existence and try to suppress them with their own “reasonable judgment.” Such a story can be interpreted as a warning that AI systems designed by humans can have unexpected results. Robots, whose first principle is that they cannot harm humans, will make judgments beyond the principles given to them as they develop free will. In other words, this situation has occurred not because humans are being oppressed as a result of rational judgment, but because of the free will that has arisen in them.
The movie “Ghost in the Shell” also features a robot that has formed its own personality. The robot, called “Puppetmaster,” is an artificial intelligence created as a bug in a program created by the government to inspect and control civilians. In the sea of information called the “net,” the self awakens and enters the universal robot platform, claiming itself as a single personality. However, the government is worried that their dirty laundry will be exposed and mobilizes all kinds of public power to catch this “puppet master” who is beyond their prediction. This story instills the idea that even machines designed by humans can have a self, and makes us think about the autonomy of artificial intelligence.
In fact, the future depicted by “I, Robot” and “Ghost in the Shell” is a future in which robots that make rational judgments, as we have defined them, are widely commercialized. People living in these societies enjoy a lot of convenience through AI that makes rational judgments. However, the reason why the NS-5 in “I, Robot” and the Puppet Master in “Ghost in the Shell” are feared is because they have a personality beyond rational judgment and have free will. So, can this happen in real life where robots have personalities?
First, we need to separate rational judgment from personality. The definition of personality is as follows. “The very subject who judges good and evil, freely decides his will, and acts based on that.” As defined above, personality includes the concept of ‘free will.’ This free will refers to something that cannot be explained by the environment in which the person has grown up. This free will has led to the development of human history, but it has also led to a catastrophe. For example, Hitler, who dreamed of conquering the world in the wrong way, tried to achieve his dream by massacring countless Jews. No one taught him about these massacres, but he used various cruel means to achieve his dream. As such, there are parts of human personality and free will that cannot be explained.
On the other hand, artificial intelligence can be explained because it is made by humans, as the word itself suggests. In other words, because artificial intelligence can be explained, it cannot have free will, and because it does not have unpredictable free will, it can always be predicted within a certain range. AI is designed to follow the purposes and rules set by humans and is trained in the direction that humans want. Therefore, unless an engineer creates an AI with the purpose of harming humans, the AI itself, which is created to benefit humans, will not pose a threat to humans.
The scenarios of many science fiction movies in which robots with AI are portrayed negatively have something in common. At first, they helped humans and greatly improved their quality of life, but for some inexplicable reason, artificial intelligence began to act unintentionally (freewill), and as a result, humans were oppressed by robots. However, this is just the product of fictional imagination. Classic science fiction films such as “Blade Runner” and “Gattaca” generally depicted a gloomy future. But if we look around, we can see that many of the technologies featured in the film have been realized, and the dark future that was feared has not come. The advancement of science is providing humanity with more opportunities, and AI and robotics will also lead us to a better life. We hope that the helper robots featured in Ghost in the Shell and I, Robot will become a reality and make life more convenient for humans.
