What could possibly go wrong?
It’s almost a religious question: in whose image are we making robots?
Will we only make clever, efficient robots who will do what they’re told — built, naturally, in the image of your average middle management functionary?
Or will we attempt to build monsters — just because we like to put our fingers in the fire occasionally?
A New Zealand company called Touchpoint Group says it’s building a robot that will be the worst of us.
It will be angry all the time. Angrier than a motorist trying to tolerate yet another cyclist who goes straight through a stop sign. Angrier than Kanye when he sees a paparazzo. And, yes, angrier than any Comcast customer that ever lived.
The idea, in fact, is to help organizations deal with angry customers. As the Australian Business Review reports, Touchpoint is working with a bank so that its machines can better understand why customers get angry.
We do like to put our finger in the fire, don’t we?
The best part is that as soon as I posted this piece that slams Comcast, a Verizon ad appeared below it.
The add I got here was ‘Cuba adventures for seniors’
I was hoping for R2D2.
“..in whose image are we making robots?”
Bender
Heh, just what we need; a robot Tea Partier.
I can see it now . . .
Auto-Secretary: Good day, please listen to all of the following options as our . . .
Robot: Fuck you, give me a real person.
Auto-Secretary: Press one to discuss your bill, Press two to discuss your service . . .
Robot: Go to hell you whore, find me a damn human.
Auto-Secretary: Press seven to find out about our customer rewards program.
Robot: Get the fuck off the line you stupid piece of shit idiotic cunt.
. . .
Yes, there is so much to be gleaned from robots.
That could completely shut down communication lines for hours. As the two automata talk to each other. Just so long as the angry robot doesn’t slam down the phone. Oh, wait. You can’t do that anymore.
Regret to note Hawking, often off the mark about aliens and alien contact, is right on this one, and it will more likely than not turn out to be one of the most accurate predictions he ever made.
A bank so clueless about why customers get angry that it wastes money (meaning additional fees coming) on a robot to model angry customers contracting with a robot manufacturer for a blue sky project (meaning very high risk of failure).
Might they better spend the money on the ATMs? Just a thought.
Facepalm.
Not a theological problem at all — except for the question, “Why did God make some many idiot CEOs?”
Love it! Can’t wait for the development of artificial intelligence, has been a promising field and has already entered today’s marketplace. My prediction of the future? Robots roaming planet earth and humans living in caves. What comes around, comes around. LOL
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How I hate today’s humans in call centers reading answers off prepared sheets when I try to get an answer for a technical problem. Would be nice for this human robot to be replaced with a full-grown one with some AI that can manage my anger all within the same space of time and place.