[LINK] Robotics and Obama

Bernard Robertson-Dunn brd at iimetro.com.au
Wed Nov 25 09:56:41 AEDT 2009


Ivan Trundle wrote:
> A quote from President Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign:
>
> "As president, I believe that robotics can inspire young people to pursue science and engineering.
>
> And I also want to keep an eye on those robots in case they try anything."
>   
Robotics is another one of those wonderful technologies that can have 
unintended consequences. Whenever I hear people talking about autonomous 
robots I ask myself (and anyone who I can get to listen) - who's 
responsible for the robot's action? You can't charge a robot if it sets 
fire to you or your house or does anything else with bad results. So who 
do you take to court? The vendor? the manufacturer?

Like many a technical solution, there's more to it than the technology.

At least President Obama seems to have an instinctive understanding of 
the situation.

-- 
 
Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd at iimetro.com.au




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