How artificial intelligence and robotics are changing our lives

At this present moment in time, humanity stands on the cusp of a revolutionary change; a change that is happening through our own creations, and in which is beginning to transform every aspect of the way we live; artificial intelligence and robotics.

This integration of artificial intelligence and robotics into more and more aspects of our everyday lives has the potential to be both a salvation for some, whilst also the downfall for others.

Not only will this technological revolution improve medicine, crime prevention and the way countries both protect and defend themselves, but it will also take the jobs of many different people, becoming the cheaper, (and in many ways) more efficient replacement for employees with the potential for human error.

Whilst the AI and robotics field have not yet seen the creation of sentient machines, as the typical Sci-Fi films would lead you to believe, the machines civilisation uses daily are getting increasingly smarter, and furthermore increasingly entangled into our everyday lives. From the likes of our smartphone’s live-in assistants (Siri), to robot surgeons, artificial intelligence is gaining an increasing presence in the lives of each and every one of us, changing our lives for the better and for the worst.

One of the more trivial influences AIs and robotics have had on people’s lives during this period of technological revolution would be the gaming industry. AI advancements in this field have learnt how to play numerous different games to impressively skilled levels – for example, an AI created by Google’s DeepMind learnt how to play chess in under four hours.

Not only does teaching AIs such strategies give those online someone to play with, but also, as Max Tegmark claimed in his book Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, it can further ‘challenge the best human strategists even beyond game boards. For example, with investment strategy, political strategy and military strategy. Such real-world strategy problems are typically complicated by human psychology.’

Another huge area that has, and will continue to be, massively affected by artificial intelligence and robotics is the work sector. Big companies are starting to look at replacing their delivery staff with drones, and proof-readers are increasingly becoming a thing of the past with the likes of AI powered applications. There are many benefits to using AIs in these types of jobs, the main one being that it eliminates the chances of human error, and further ensures a more efficient and successful outcome in that specified sector of a company.

However, although replacing human staff with such AIs can lead to an increased efficiency and thereby productivity, it can also cause mass unemployment and further significantly decrease the quality of life for those in the industry. Therefore, although the incorporation of AIs and Robotics within the work sector can significantly improve the rates of efficiency and productivity, it also has the potential to cause a sharp increase in unemployment rates.

Another, potentially more controversial, way in which artificial intelligence and robotics are changing our lives would be through the sex industry. One of the latest technological advancements in this field has seen the creation of robotic sex dolls, with the goal for models to become more lifelike getting closer and closer with each new development. Some of the AIs in this area can now offer a more emotionally-driven connection with its customers, by now having the ability to flirt as well as making a spectrum of different reactionary facial expressions. Research from Online Casino Betway predicted that by 2025 there will be sexual compatibility between AI and humans.

Robotic sex dolls have however been a cause for concern since their creation, with experts in the field of robotics and the ethics surrounding them claiming that such products have the potential to damage real-life relationships. These types of robots do not accurately portray real life people, but rather a submissive and unrealistic alternative that can damage its user’s perception of a real sexual relationship and subsequently cause issues in forming such bonds outside of their robotic dolls.

A more overtly positive way in which artificial intelligence and robotics have changed our lives for the better would be through its advancements in the medical field. Over the past decade, hospitals have been using robots to perform certain tasks during surgery that require intense precision, and have little room for human error.

The types of robotics used in operating theatres are not self-operated, but rather are controlled by surgeons. However, as artificial intelligence develops further, the future may see robotics in the medical field operate such complex tasks as patient diagnoses; with built-in algorithms able to efficiently sift through mass amounts of data, reducing the amount of deaths caused by medical record mix-ups.