Essays

Humans and machines-who is in control?(C2)

Speech - test not given

Topic not given

Humans and machines–who is in control?

Movies, novels, lectures, even related bits and pieces from news as well as magazines were the primary openings of the topic, questioning people are we truly still in command of our intelligent robotic creations or not. If in any case the response to it is a definite no, then we may find out that we have a lot of weakness to be defeated comparing to "them".

Some states that machines are a threat to human beings, even declaring a raging war between them and us in the near future. Jobs are one of the major examples they frequently use to support their contention. Frankly, human jobs are being lost to machines is nothing surprising nor new. According to TechTalks, the revolution in agriculture machine technologies has multiplied the yield making it possible to feed 7 billion people better on average then 1 billion people were fed two centuries ago. One paragraph even said if robots have eaten human jobs like candy, then mechanical industries such as autonomous vehicles could be like setting a glutton loose at an all-you-can-eat buffet. From this perspective, we're losing to artificial intelligence and machines, because they perform better than we do in certain fields.

However, on the other hand, things might turn out not to be that appalling. Since we first became Homo sapiens, we constantly use machines as extensions of ourselves, leveraging them as quicker, cheaper, and more robust, hands. Our technology is at all times providing newer and more innovative ways to augment us, thus enabling us to better respond to a world moving at a more rapid pace, and also more easily secure the always-important competitive edge for businesses and industry. Institutions and the government can face mounting social costs, while communities and individuals alike are able to be looking for a better-off life. These challenges and aspirations press researchers to push past technology's boundaries to develop smarter machines since this intelligence represents the most practical way to enhance our capabilities. If technology were to impede at once, we, as humans, would have been deracinated by natural predators thousands of years ago.

Above all of these, let's discuss something more vital: the borderline between humans and robotics. I believe some will be a bit confounded since it is seemingly obvious to everyone's eyes: a machine's a machine, a person's human. However, that boundary's getting fuzzier. Nowadays, smart prosthetics fuse seamlessly with our bodies, making up for lost limbs or providing additional strength, stability, or resilience as seen in exoskeletons, which is a mobile, wearable, machine. An exaggerated example is the Amplified Mobility Platform from the movie Avatar. Moreover, we use our smartphones symbiotically, but what if they were integrated directly into our bodies? For example, a television in the form of a contact lens capable of transparently delivering virtual reality images straight to the brain. Sounds like fiction? Think again. The first prototypes have already been schemed by a tech company situated in the USA, called Mojo Vision. In conclusion, we humans will be, or already are in symbiosis with our cultural environment and the tools – both physical and conceptual – that we have been taught to use.

My opinion to this issue is that first of all, there are no moral ethics implanted in machines, as Dr Alfred Lanning from I, robot quotes, they're merely "random segments of code" – there is no 'good' or 'bad' intent in their compartments in the first place, but provided by the creators behind them. By this, I can say world war III or IIII will happen upon their commands, and with the world's technology by then, wiping out half the entire humanity before the malevolent, bloodthirsty, self-conscious androids as pictured in novels or movies can.

Moreover, there is no evidence that robots and machines alike can upgrade or think by themselves; even the most contemporary, up-to-date robot has to rely on schedules planned beforehand to speak as themselves. However, it's not that we'll all evolve to invincible superhuman that will be able to live an extra-convenient, ultra-exquisite luxurious life courtesy to totally foolproof and perfect robotics. We are depending further every day on our fancy gadgets and devices. Technology-related disease rates are ascending every day, month and year. We must take immediate and serious action, starting now.

To sum up, humans shouldn't worry about robots backstabbing them; conversely, they should spend their time lessening their dependence on it. Only this way can we achieve a realm of harmony and peace between humans and machines.

* That was a lot of research made. It sounds cool though, I bet the judges haven't even heard what I said before.

* I think I got a silver medal for this - or was it another speech? If you search around my profile a bit, you'll find a blow-by-blow of the contest.