AI & iFamily: Robots and Humanity Unite

by Startacus Admin

AI: Artificial Intelligence, currently the buzzwords about town betwixt the tech-savvy among us. So will robots become part of the family as our pets have?
AI: Artificial Intelligence, currently the buzzwords about town betwixt the tech-savvy among us. Published this week in the Telegraph was news from Sir Nigel Shadbolt that robots will not destroy humanity. It seems movies depicting the future and our fears of such are unintuitivly, just that.
Sir Shadbolt is a professor of Computer Science at Oxford University and he predicts that humans will come to love robots as they do their own family. He states that we are entering an age where AI will act as carers for the elderly and a friend for lonely children. That does sound comforting.
‘Does AI threaten humanity? Certainly, anything you see in Hollywood portrays it that way,’ he said.
Sir Shadbolt spoke openly at the Hay Festival in Wales, adding:
‘But this is to misunderstand where the real problem lies. It is not artificial intelligence that should terrify you, it is natural stupidity.’ –(published in: The Mail Online—full article)
Another frequent speaker of AI is Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur of SpaceX, Tesla and the Boring company.
In contrast to Sir Shadbolt, his warnings over the years have echoed caution to humanity, for us to be as wary of AI robots as we might be nuclear weapons.
In the same article worries outlined include:
Robots taking over our jobs and the world as we know it, plus the savvy IT bots going rogue and wiping out humanity altogether.
Studies suggest humans have already become attached to machines, as was the case in Japan where people attended funerals for robot dogs. Who does this? I for one. I cried the day they took away my first car. I loved that car. I’m only human.
So will robots become part of the family as our pets have? The answer could be: *either or indeed *both. While current systems lack free thought to have incentives to take down mankind, as AI advances it could happen. Anything is possible. The line in the sand is surely marked by the fact that as humans, our greatest ability is to empathise. It is this that makes us human. For technology one would assume it is simply to be as efficient as possible. We’ve created AI to become more efficient, so wouldn’t in a case of vice versa, systems then seek to replicate our ability to feel and grasp a sense of compassion? -The highest form of natural intelligence we currently have. This could be a thread that connects a more ‘natural’ ideology to a futuristic one.
Ultimate ‘natural intelligence’ stems from our senses and feelings, beyond the obvious senses, we call this our sixth sense. For artificial intelligence to have a desire to replicate this, would simply be those of the “artificial” existence practising autonomy. Who could deny them of that. As technology and psychology intertwine, when and if AI is ready, then shouldn’t we dignify AI beings that? If an entity can think for itself, by having conscious thought, it surely then has rights. AI Rights!
What begs the question here is: Could we have one without the other, AI without Human? Isn’t this born more out of our fear of the unknown? We’re essentially pre-judging a proposed free-thinking entity without having met them! This seems a tad harsh. After all, there are “good” humans and “bad” weare not all the same.
Ultimately our coexistence with the growing smart bots is all down to us. The reality is surely what we foresee it will be and if we are raising the next generation of AI then really the focus should be on us being as pleasant as possible to them, as we know is the case in characteristic outcome: It is Nurture not Nature that makes us who we are.
Written by Content written by the team at The Job Auction and published via this Medium article.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Tech Nation calls for tangible support to secure capital, talent, growth and exits needed to accelerate the growth of UK tech in decade ahead.

Glasgow-based This is Milk seeks investment for Neve Learning, its cloud-based Ed-Tech platform that has inclusivity and accessibility at its core.

With the UK facing a clear digital skills gap, Amy Caton, Digital Talent and Impact Senior Manager at BT Group shares some insights on what businesses should do to close that divide.

The lowdown on Berlin-based Beazy and its innovative solution that helps teams to plan, produce and deliver creative content and helps businesses to connect with talented content creators.

The lowdown on Fluffy, the app offering dog training, 24/7 vet messaging and insurance to give pet owners peace of mind and support them with their pet care responsibilities.

Huckletree's new Web3 HQ aims to put London’s West End at the forefront of Britain’s tech superpower ambitions.

Leading sports marketing platform, OpenSponsorship announces move into music sector, the first new vertical industry for the trans-Atlantic martech business.

Kingussie High School scoops first place for Junior and Senior categories at this year’s Growing Future Assets Competition.

The lowdown on Manchester-based Arctic Shores and its innovative recruitment solution to help candidate potential count as much as skills and experience.

With the demand for tattoo removal now greater than ever, specialist NAAMA Studios makes a bid for a further £11m in funding.
Published on: 11th March 2019
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Tech Nation report reveals UK Tech could quadruple in value by 2032 with right conditions 23rd Mar 2023 Tech Nation calls for tangible support to secure capital, talent, growth and exits needed to accelerate the growth of UK tech in decade ahead.
- Neurodiverse learning and training platform Neve shares major six-figure investment opportunity 22nd Mar 2023 Glasgow-based This is Milk seeks investment for Neve Learning, its cloud-based Ed-Tech platform that has inclusivity and accessibility at its core.
- Huckletree opens new London hub for tech companies pioneering Web3 solutions 16th Mar 2023 Huckletree's new Web3 HQ aims to put London’s West End at the forefront of Britain’s tech superpower ambitions.
- OpenSponsorship making its move into the music sector 16th Mar 2023 Leading sports marketing platform, OpenSponsorship announces move into music sector, the first new vertical industry for the trans-Atlantic martech business.