February 3, 2005
MAYBE THAT WASN’T PARIS HILTON AFTER ALL
Sex and the single robot (Jonathan Watts, The Guardian, February 2nd, 2005)
Scientists have made them walk and talk. There are even robots that can run. But a South Korean professor is poised to take their development several steps further, and give cybersex new meaning.Kim Jong-Hwan, the director of the ITRC-Intelligent Robot Research Centre, has developed a series of artificial chromosomes that, he says, will allow robots to feel lusty, and could eventually lead to them reproducing. He says the software, which will be installed in a robot within the next three months, will give the machines the ability to feel, reason and desire.
Kim, a leading authority on technology and ethics of robotics, said: "Christians may not like it, but we must consider this the origin of an artificial species. Until now, most researchers in this field have focused only on the functionality of the machines, but we think in terms of the essence of the creatures."
That "essence" is a computer code, which determines a robot's propensity to "feel" happy, sad, angry, sleepy, hungry or afraid. Kim says this software is modelled on human DNA, though equivalent to a single strand of genetic code rather than the complex double helix of a real chromosome.
Kim said: "Robots will have their own personalities and emotion and - as films like I Robot warn - that could be very dangerous for humanity. If we can provide a robot with good - soft - chromosomes, they may not be such a threat."
Why does he think Christians would object? The Anglican Church would love to have them as priests.
Posted by Peter Burnet at February 3, 2005 8:45 AMPfft. This article is fluff. I can make a robot feel lusty, too. I can even make it feel lusty every hour on the hour -- now that's a cuckoo clock!
if(currentTime - lastLeer >= 1.0)
say("I feel lusty!")
lastLeer = currentTime
The professor obviously thinks he's done something more clever than that, but if he has, the article is keeping quiet about it.
This is a sideshow. The true market is for lifelike, "lusty" robots that humans can sex with. Whoever comes up with that is a guaranteed billionaire.
Posted by: Brandon at February 3, 2005 10:57 AMWill they come with batteries? No pun intended.
Posted by: at February 3, 2005 11:26 AMStar Trek--The Next Generation was all over this.
Posted by: Lou Gots at February 3, 2005 12:19 PMAs long as we can marry.
Posted by: David Cohen at February 3, 2005 1:33 PMThe original Trek had Harry Mudd.
Posted by: Anthony Perez-Miller at February 3, 2005 1:35 PMSo was Asimov. One of his stories has a woman falling in love with a robot she owns. He gets wrapped around the axle trying to work out how the Three Laws apply and goes crazy. There's probably a lesson in there someplace.
Posted by: joe shropshire at February 3, 2005 1:42 PMThat was the TOS episode where Kirk curses Mudd with a thousand robot duplicates of his (Mudd's) ex-wife: "Harcourt Fenton Mudd!" I don't remember the title, but I never do.
Also the epic 80's scifi masterpiece Cherry 2000 delves into the robot sex theme. It's noted for giving us an eyefull of Melanie Griffith's goodies.
Posted by: Governor Breck at February 3, 2005 2:01 PMI Mudd.
Posted by: Ali Choudhury at February 3, 2005 3:03 PMSomewhat off topic (I think, I'm not really sure what the topic is): my son has me watching Deep Space 9 reruns, which I never watched when it was first broadcast. It's surprisingly good, easily the second best Trek series, and I suspect that I've got it behind TOS only out of nostalgia.
Posted by: David Cohen at February 3, 2005 4:51 PM7 of 9
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at February 3, 2005 5:15 PMAm I the only one who thinks that Paris Hilton is a space alien?
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at February 3, 2005 6:04 PM7 of 9 isn't a robot exactly, she's just got implants.
Posted by: joe shropshire at February 3, 2005 6:09 PMIn her head.
Posted by: joe shropshire at February 3, 2005 6:17 PMI Robot, I have rights, I want drugs + sex + rock and roll, please. Warning will Robinson. Danger alert!
Posted by: Robot at February 3, 2005 7:10 PM