The UK Invited a Robot To 'Give Evidence' In Parliament For Attention (theverge.com) 18
"The UK Parliament caused a bit of a stir this week with the news that it would play host to its first non-human witness," reports The Verge. "A press release from one of Parliament's select committees (groups of MPs who investigate an issue and report back to their peers) said it had invited Pepper the robot to 'answer questions' on the impact of AI on the labor market." From the report: "Pepper is part of an international research project developing the world's first culturally aware robots aimed at assisting with care for older people," said the release from the Education Committee. "The Committee will hear about her work [and] what role increased automation and robotics might play in the workplace and classroom of the future." It is, of course, a stunt.
As a number of AI and robotics researchers pointed out on Twitter, Pepper the robot is incapable of giving such evidence. It can certainly deliver a speech the same way Alexa can read out the news, but it can't formulate ideas itself. As one researcher told MIT Technology Review, "Modern robots are not intelligent and so can't testify in any meaningful way." Parliament knows this. In an email to The Verge, a media officer for the Education Committee confirmed that Pepper would be providing preprogrammed answers written by robotics researchers from Middlesex University, who are also testifying on the same panel. "It will be clear on the day that Pepper's responses are not spontaneous," said the spokesperson. "Having Pepper appear before the Committee and the chance to question the witnesses will provide an opportunity for members to explore both the potential and limitations of such technology and the capabilities of robots." MP Robert Halfon, the committee's chair, told education news site TES that inviting Pepper was "not about someone bringing an electronic toy robot and doing a demonstration" but showing the "potential of robotics and artificial intelligence." He added: "If we've got the march of the robots, we perhaps need the march of the robots to our select committee to give evidence."
As a number of AI and robotics researchers pointed out on Twitter, Pepper the robot is incapable of giving such evidence. It can certainly deliver a speech the same way Alexa can read out the news, but it can't formulate ideas itself. As one researcher told MIT Technology Review, "Modern robots are not intelligent and so can't testify in any meaningful way." Parliament knows this. In an email to The Verge, a media officer for the Education Committee confirmed that Pepper would be providing preprogrammed answers written by robotics researchers from Middlesex University, who are also testifying on the same panel. "It will be clear on the day that Pepper's responses are not spontaneous," said the spokesperson. "Having Pepper appear before the Committee and the chance to question the witnesses will provide an opportunity for members to explore both the potential and limitations of such technology and the capabilities of robots." MP Robert Halfon, the committee's chair, told education news site TES that inviting Pepper was "not about someone bringing an electronic toy robot and doing a demonstration" but showing the "potential of robotics and artificial intelligence." He added: "If we've got the march of the robots, we perhaps need the march of the robots to our select committee to give evidence."
Are politicians really THAT dumb? (Score:2)
What's next -- bringing a toaster to see how it impacts chefs and other markets?
*facepalm*
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Yes, our so-called "leaders" are that dumb. When you take into account that these get elected, then you begin to see why basically everything is messed up.
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No, the next logical step would be making a robot P.M.
Er, wait...
Robots and computers don't do things!! (Score:1)
Acting like that, is like saying your hammer is a person who hits nails!
It is in the same category of iTernal September clueles ness, as printing out the Internet, or saying "cyber", or wanting to ban something by blocking domains of websites because you confuse the Internet with the web!
The only difference with computers and robots, is that the delay between the action and the result happening, is bigger, and the actions can be more complex. That’s it.
When you ask a computer with a running program to
Pepper's for real (Score:3)
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Can she Shut The Fuck Up! Because thats what the fuck it needs to do. Stupid tracking tracker tracking the tracker while not leaving tracks on the track while the tracker is tracking the tracking tracker. Oh lord its a vicious circle.
Mental Health Advice for MP's (Score:2)
Perhaps they can dispense mental health advice to MP's, who have been busy using Brexit to destroy the UK.
But you’re my friends (Score:2)
Robot: Don't worry if I got full Terminator.
Robot: I’ll be good to you.
Robot: Warm and safe in my open-range UK zoo.
Politics finally reached the level of kindergarden (Score:2)
Wonder what is next.