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Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

In English IV, we've been talking about science fiction and "future" technology and what it means to us. In other words, how are these technologies - telecommunications, bio-medical advances, robotics, artificial intelligence - both good and bad.  How might they benefit us, and how might they potentially "de-humanize" us?

Stephen Spielberg's movie AI was based a short story written by Brian Aldiss, "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long," which is about an an artificially intelligent robotic (or, android) boy and a mother's loneliness.

Two examples of advancement in artificial intelligence are Apple's Siri and IBM's Watson computer. Below is a short history of Watson's development:


And here's the video on the "uncanny valley" we watched in class:

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