The Next Generation

CHAPTER 2 Hybrid humanity: preparing for the robot–human interface

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

By the mid 21st century, our children's physical and mental capabilities will be greatly enhanced by technology. At the same time, robots will be demonstrating advanced human-like traits. This chapter explores the increasingly blurred distinction between humans and robots, and offers some challenging illustrations. Let's start with Pepper, who is not your average robot.

#emotionalrobots #robotrelationships #advancedbodies #artificialintelligence #smarterchildren

A DAILY DOSE OF PEPPER THE ROBOT

Pepper¹ is not your everyday domestic robot. Jointly developed in 2014 by robotics companies Aldebaran (Paris) and SoftBank (Tokyo), Pepper robots now welcome customers into retail stores throughout Japan. They live in private Japanese homes, they are receptionists in European hospitals, and they work in American car dealerships, grocery stores and even elementary schools for disabled children.

What's so special about Pepper, given there is nothing new about robot helpers in factories, hospitals and homes? Pepper has been designed to interact with you in an emotional way — at least for a robot. By using face and voice recognition technology, it (he?) can identify the expressions on your face, interpret your voice and even engage you in conversation.

Can humans really relate with non-living entities such as Pepper? According to roboticists researching the human–robot interface, most people express ...