More on you're fired !
Ran across a few more news articles which show a progression toward robots "taking over". Very much like Marshall Brain describes in his Robotic Nation, article. I wrote about it a bit more in the last post, but if you have not read it yet, then this is a reminder that you should.
However, his view seems much more pessimistic than mine.
In any case. Some people might say "it will never happen. People won't LET machines take over!". Riiight.... In fact, the way I see it.... it is exactly that people WILL WANT machines to take over! The next news article of this already happening is the plane crash a week or two ago, where 49 people died because the pilot tried to take off down the wrong (short) runway. The article points to new technology that some planes already have, and would have saved everyone on board.... for $18,000. SO, now that the airline (Comair) is being sued for the pilot error, do you think more airlines might install robotic systems to make these checks so THEY don't get sued? Or the fact there was only one person in the tower when the FAA requires two may force the FAA to insist on robotic checks in addition to (and then perhaps replacing) human checks! Or something else? Even if the FAA does not FORCE airlines to have this new technology..... would you feel safer in a place with more safety checks? Don't you think most people would? Then would most people vote for that to be required by all airlines? Either on some federal ballot to force a law, or even by voting with their wallets, and only buying tickets on the "safest" airlines.
There will always be some chance of error, malfunction, problems... but I am pretty sure that human error pops up a bit more often than system/mechanical error... and certainly if we start thinking about either having 1 or 2 people checking something or having 15 robotic system checks in the same time frame, with deeper levels of analysis and cross referencing.
No, it won't be that machines rise up and TAKE control. Humans are already slowly putting (begging) them in control. First the pilots.. and soon the air traffic controllers, as their job is listed as one of THE most stressful jobs in the world.... and high stress can lead to more frequent errors. A job that automated robotic systems could easily handle 24 hours a day without fatigue.
As robotic systems become smarter and more integrated with our other systems, they are sure to be submitting more of their own job application forms, and it's very likely that you will be happy to hand your job over to them.
However, his view seems much more pessimistic than mine.
In any case. Some people might say "it will never happen. People won't LET machines take over!". Riiight.... In fact, the way I see it.... it is exactly that people WILL WANT machines to take over! The next news article of this already happening is the plane crash a week or two ago, where 49 people died because the pilot tried to take off down the wrong (short) runway. The article points to new technology that some planes already have, and would have saved everyone on board.... for $18,000. SO, now that the airline (Comair) is being sued for the pilot error, do you think more airlines might install robotic systems to make these checks so THEY don't get sued? Or the fact there was only one person in the tower when the FAA requires two may force the FAA to insist on robotic checks in addition to (and then perhaps replacing) human checks! Or something else? Even if the FAA does not FORCE airlines to have this new technology..... would you feel safer in a place with more safety checks? Don't you think most people would? Then would most people vote for that to be required by all airlines? Either on some federal ballot to force a law, or even by voting with their wallets, and only buying tickets on the "safest" airlines.
There will always be some chance of error, malfunction, problems... but I am pretty sure that human error pops up a bit more often than system/mechanical error... and certainly if we start thinking about either having 1 or 2 people checking something or having 15 robotic system checks in the same time frame, with deeper levels of analysis and cross referencing.
No, it won't be that machines rise up and TAKE control. Humans are already slowly putting (begging) them in control. First the pilots.. and soon the air traffic controllers, as their job is listed as one of THE most stressful jobs in the world.... and high stress can lead to more frequent errors. A job that automated robotic systems could easily handle 24 hours a day without fatigue.
As robotic systems become smarter and more integrated with our other systems, they are sure to be submitting more of their own job application forms, and it's very likely that you will be happy to hand your job over to them.
posted by rock808 at 9/02/2006 02:24:00 PM
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