In ‘Westworld,’ it’s tough to distinguish human from robot.
HBO
In ‘Westworld’s’ land of robots, it’s the people who lack humanity.
Stephen Hawking has warned AI could be a threat to humanity.
Lwp Kommunikáció/Flickr
The vision that AI will either end or save humankind is buoyed in the tech world because it feeds egos. What we really should worry about is humans.
Is handing out cash the solution? To what problem?
Hand holding money via shutterstock.com
The claim: Robotics will lead to mass unemployment. The reality: Productivity will grow, but not idle or leisure time.
HBO
New HBO series reimagines a group of life-like robots programmed with hope but marred in violence. They might be more human than we think.
Steven Morgan deploys ABLE robots in a swimming pool to test how well their programs simulate larval behavior.
University of California, Davis
Most ocean species start out as larvae drifting with currents. Using underwater robots, scientists have found that larvae use swimming motions to affect their course and reach suitable places to grow.
All in the hand shake.
Shutterstock
Making the mechanical more human.
Robot workforce at the ready.
Shutterstock/Palto
In a world where robots work better than humans, how will we cope? We need to rethink our jobs-based economy.
Shutterstock
Using a robotic video camera to digitally recreate a crime scene could give juries greater insight without the logistical nightmare and potential bias of a physical visit.
Some innate human features can only be learned through evolution.
Shutterstock/Christian Lagerek
Doing favours is a basic feature of human society – but can robots join in?
There could be plenty of demand from the space tour guides of the near future.
Flickr/Pedro Vezini
Space tourists will need someone to show them around. This is just one of several jobs that currently don’t exist but are expected to be a reality with in a decade.
How can this robot know where to move safely, and where it will collide with something else?
Humanrobo
Using a technique inspired by how human brains operate, researchers have found a way to help robots move more smoothly and more quickly.
Biohybrid sea slug, reporting for duty.
Dr. Andrew Horchler
To do the jobs “nuts-and-bolts” robots aren’t good at, engineers are creating soft living machines powered by muscle cells.
Shall I take the spare room?
Shutterstock
Robotics is taking some giant leaps forward.
Shutterstock
The rise of online ‘chatbots’ shows how artificial intelligence is becoming a part of daily life. But how do you stop them talking like a really bad PA?
Is this the future of physical therapy?
Body drawing via shutterstock.com
Stroke patients need therapy to recover, but there are not enough human therapists to meet the need. Can robots help?
The beautiful, if clunky, game.
Jens Wolf/EPA
Computers must master football if they are to demonstrate that they can be our equal.
Robots can help a new business deal with all the mundane tasks.
Shutterstock/Ociacia
Much of the debate about robots talking jobs focuses largely on a jobless future. But robots can deliver a host of benefits, especially for start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Am I a cylon? They may not look like this, but there’s a new batch of social robots about to pop up in homes around the world.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Social robots have exploded into the market in recent years, but what can they really do?
Should we act to prevent this from ever happening?
Armed robot via shutterstock.com
Machines that can target and kill people without human intervention or accountability pose a moral threat to the world.
What if robots turn against us?
Robot and skull via shutterstock.com
The threat from dangerous AI systems is vastly underappreciated and under-researched. If we don’t study them, we can’t fight them – or prevent them.