So, in case the world wasn’t big and scary enough for you today, here is an article that made the rounds of my grad school department this week….essentially, some lovely robotics people, who are clearly very smart and terribly good at their jobs, have created a robot that bears an uncanny (and intentional) resemblance to Philip K. Dick, author of the seminal novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, uploaded 20 of his novels, interviews and recordings, and then filmed a conversation with Android Dick.
In and of itself, this story is unsettling for several reasons. The most scientific of these reasons is that Android Dick exists in “the uncanny valley“. This term refers to the point where non-human replications of human (3D-animation, robots, etc.,) become so human-like that the human brain gets all creeped-out and wants to crawl in the corner and cry quietly. The term “valley” itself refers to the dip on a graph that shows people’s comfort levels while looking at various humanoid creations, which you can see below:
Not only does Android Dick’s face look eerily human, but facial recognition software built into that face means that he can analyze your emotions, and react accordingly, blurring the line even further between man and machine.
The second reason this story is unsettling is because of the fact that it became the subject of a copyright kerfluffle, in which people argued that the robotic head of Android Dick spouting phrases and thought inspired from the works of Philip K. Dick was an infringement on the rights of the human (and deceased) Philip K. Dick. Which implies that Android Dick is making a conscious decision about his words and phrases…which means he has passed the Turing Test–essentially the benchmark for determining if a machine has human intelligence (check out The Imitation Game for more information).
The third reason this story gives me hives is because of the way that Android Dick manipulated the language and rationale that had been programmed into his circuit-board-brain. In an interview on PBS Nova (which you can watch in its entirety here), Android Dick responded to a question about robots evolving to take over the world thusly:
“Jeez, dude. You all have the big questions cooking today. But you’re my friend, and I’ll remember my friends, and I’ll be good to you. So don’t worry, even if I evolve into Terminator, I’ll still be nice to you. I’ll keep you warm and safe in my people zoo, where I can watch you for ol’ times sake.”
People Zoo.
A number of people with whom I’ve discussed this phrase were horrified. Horrified. But, as a fairly regular reader of science fiction, most of which I found at my local library (shameless plug there), I really can’t admit to being that surprised. After all, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by Philip K. Dick (the real Philip K. Dick…the one with a pulse…) tells the story of a not-too-distant future (originally 1992, later revised to 2021) where robots–who look precisely like humans–threaten the very fabric of their post-apocalyptic society. When a down-and-out bounty hunter is sent to track the robots down, they simply blend in with the humans, forcing every character to question who and what they truly know to be ‘real’…you might also recognize this story as the inspiration for the film Blade runner.
But the point is that robots are scary…something which science fiction has been telling us for generations now. No other species has been so actively engaged in creating their own replacements, in aiding evolution towards their our own inevitable redundancy. And science fiction has certainly taught us that our grip on the top of the food chain is precarious at best. H.G. Wells claimed that we would be outdone by ants, while Max Brooks taught us it would be zombie viruses. The point is less what will kill us, but that we as a species are clearly not that talented at avoiding these ubiquitous threats. So, rather than acting like my grad school colleagues and weep that the sky is falling, sit back and enjoy the trip with some well-crafted, beautiful, and downright creepy tales of the devices that are coming to get us. Because I don’t know if Android Dick is going to allow books in the people zoos….
So, IF you want to learn more about the advent of our robot overlords, Then be sure to check out…
I, Robot: No, not the little self-propelled vacuum thingy…which, incidentally, took some inspiration from Isaac Asimov’s classic collection of short stories published in the 1950’s. These stories are united in the character of Dr. Susan Calvin, who relates each tale as part of an interview on her life and work in the field of robotics to a reporter living at some point in the 21st century after 2058. Each story can be read alone, but together, they form a fascinating study of human/robot interactions, and the threat that robot ‘psychology’ poses to human civilization. Also featured in these stories are Asimov’s three Three Laws of Robotics, foundations around which his robot population was constructed, and rules which have been referenced in numerous works since.
R.U.R. (Rossum’s universal robots): Because sometimes, the most disturbing robots are the ones that teach us the most about our own humanity. This Czech play by Karl Capek, first published in 1920, actually introduced the word “robot” into the English language, features artificial humans much like Dick’s, that were designed to be servants to the humans-with-pulses. But as their numbers grow, these robots begin to realize that they, in truth, wield the power, and successfully wipe out the human race. But Capek’s tale is more than imagination–like the best science fiction, it also makes some fascinating observations about the state of humanity after the First World War, and comments directly on the effects of the Fordist assembly lines on workers.
Robopocalypse: Daniel H. Wilson has a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon, so his tale about computer scientists unleashing a supremely-powerful android named Archos is full of real technological details which make it even more chilling. The post-apocalyptic fight for survival that ensues is gory and far bleaker than Capek’s version of events, but a wonderfully compelling, highly intelligent read (with the lights on, of course. And away from your computer….), and it’s sequel, Robogenesis.
2001: A Space Odyssey : We’ve all heard about HAL, the diabolically clever computer in charge of Discovery One, the first ship bound for Jupiter, but Stanley Kubrick’s film (based on several short stories from Arthur C. Clarke, which you should also definitely read) has stood the test of time, and is just as haunting, mind-bending, and epic today as when it was released in 1968. The incredible intelligence of HAL, and the idea that a machine could have such an overarching, complex ulterior motive makes for a story that doesn’t skimp on tension, right up to the final, curious, unsettling scene. For a somewhat updated expansion on this theme, check out the film Ex Machina, as well!