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| Science & Technology |
| Who needs a husband when you can have a robot! |
| 2017-09-24 |
| [DailyMail] Although Alfie and I look like any normal couple enjoying the late September sunshine with our dog, this isn’t a normal date. It is planned to the last detail. It would almost have to be. After taking the air for precisely 17 minutes, we are going home to enjoy a light supper with wine, before settling on the sofa to watch one of my favourite gory medical dramas. Alfie is not going to gripe about the plot lines or ask daft questions. He’s not going to ask whether I really need a second glass of wine. If, at some point, I feel like inquiring as to whether my bottom looks big in my new red dress, I know what his response will be. Alfie gets a shot 99 percent of men dating wimmin don't get. Does Alfie sound like the perfect man? He could be. He is actually a robot, crafted from thin hand-sculpted silicone stretched over a durable plastic skeleton, and can be programmed to do whatever I want him to, whether that is placing an internet shopping order or complimenting me on my haircut. And in the final analysis, getting a man to do whatever you want him to do is the goal. He is the brainchild of robotics expert Adam Kushner, and I’ve volunteered to give him a test run to see whether robots might one day replace our husbands — or, specifically, my perfectly good current version, Justin, to whom I’ve been married for 15 years. Meanwhile, Justin signs up for a clandestine Kik account. Interest in humanoid robots is at an all-time high. On October 6 the long-awaited movie sequel Blade Runner 2049 is released, with a plotline heaving with robots, known as replicants, that will whet the appetite of science fiction lovers everywhere. In real life, there is a frantic race to create the most believable looking and sounding robots. Maybe, but I am having a hard time believing the writer. Cloning life forms is so last century. Now, we want to recreate humanity in robotic form, and there’s sound practical reasons for doing so. Companion robots are increasingly in demand; not just as the toys of billionaires, but also as receptionists, teachers and helpers to our ageing population. The best helpers for an ageing population is kids, not robot. It sounds creepy, but you can see why they could be handy: lifting the infirm out of the bath, calling for emergency assistance and offering reminders to take medication — as well as directing guests to the right room when arriving at a hotel. All noble reasons. ‘Travel to Japan or China, and chances are a vaguely human-looking robot will be directing you to your room,’ says Adam, who provided the first UK robot receptionist back in February and can now barely keep up with demand. I am neither old, a billionaire nor a hotel owner, but I am charmed by the idea of a ‘husband’ who is programmed to do everything I tell him. More nonsense at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #3 I am charmed by the idea of a ‘husband’ who is programmed to do everything I tell him. Thus the goal of the feminist matriarchy. You deserve the Geth. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-09-24 08:04 |
| #2 Brings good paychecks, does he? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-09-24 02:51 |
| #1 Does he run on 110, and is he well grounded? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2017-09-24 00:31 |