Discussion from Class
Because I am a dork, I am going to comment on the class discussion today. The question about whether we can create a robot equal to a human is an interesting one. I stand by my thought that they will never equal us. I keep thinking about intuition- how would you program a computer to have an intuition? That some of my decisions are based on feelings- not logic. How a human can know all the consequences of a choice, and yet somehow decide another course of action- and that turns out to be the correct one.
And what about experiences shaping who we are? Something a computer wouldn't necessarily get. For instance- what about people that face overwhelming tradegy...or have a disability? How would a robot learn about hope or resiliency? For instance- I have manic-depression, and I know without a doubt that it has changed my life and impacts me on some level every day. Having such a disibility did teach me a lot about hope and human nature...and many times that is not something you can teach, but only feel...and just "know."
I am a therapist for kids with autism...and I would dare to venture to say that a robot could not do what I do. First...the kids respond to human contact...but overwhelmingly...many of my kids get cues from my facial expressions or body language. But most of all, what is the most interesting to me, is that I connect on a level with these kids that can't be explained. Parents and other therapist have told me over and over again that I bond with them on a different level. Perhaps it is because I too have an incurable disorder...or really...who knows. Again- something you cannot program. It just is. How I can know something about the kids with just one look...or the child know if they are right or wrong with a facial expression.
Just as there is no gene for the human spirit...there is no computer program that can capture human spirit- it cannot be programmed...only felt and just known. Will computers and robotics reach a human level? No...because empathy and human compassion and the overall human spirit is not something that can be programmed. And those were my basic thoughts on that!
And what about experiences shaping who we are? Something a computer wouldn't necessarily get. For instance- what about people that face overwhelming tradegy...or have a disability? How would a robot learn about hope or resiliency? For instance- I have manic-depression, and I know without a doubt that it has changed my life and impacts me on some level every day. Having such a disibility did teach me a lot about hope and human nature...and many times that is not something you can teach, but only feel...and just "know."
I am a therapist for kids with autism...and I would dare to venture to say that a robot could not do what I do. First...the kids respond to human contact...but overwhelmingly...many of my kids get cues from my facial expressions or body language. But most of all, what is the most interesting to me, is that I connect on a level with these kids that can't be explained. Parents and other therapist have told me over and over again that I bond with them on a different level. Perhaps it is because I too have an incurable disorder...or really...who knows. Again- something you cannot program. It just is. How I can know something about the kids with just one look...or the child know if they are right or wrong with a facial expression.
Just as there is no gene for the human spirit...there is no computer program that can capture human spirit- it cannot be programmed...only felt and just known. Will computers and robotics reach a human level? No...because empathy and human compassion and the overall human spirit is not something that can be programmed. And those were my basic thoughts on that!
posted by Erin at
2:52 PM
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