Slashdot Mirror
Japan's Proposed 30-Year Robot Program
Gallamine writes "A group of Japanese researchers have proposed a Government plan to spend 50 billion yen per year (that's over 400 million $US) for 30 years on developing a robot with capabilities of a 5-year-old. Japan's current economy may prevent the plan from happening, but the interesting point is the parallels to the U.S. Apollo space program, America's attempt to put a man on the moon. While expensive, the benefits to the American population from that program are probably unmeasurable. Perhaps the U.S. Government should consider funding such a program over here?"
$7.5B wouldn't fund NASA for 6 months, much less colonize the moon.
Two words: Slave Labor. Robots don't threaten to walk out if working conditions are dangerous.
Don't trust any concentration of power.
This is basically the same argument that were used when the industrial revolution began and machines started to replace people.
Come to think of it the argument was popular in the 60's and 70's with application to computers and how they would displace so many workers.
IMHO the argument is just as erronous now as it ever has been.
Yes, then forget about the robots and colonize the moon or Mars.
Though lets start with a REAL space station first.
Actually, lets start with a more dependable heavy payload launch vehicle.
Three seperate posts, saying in effect, "Who cares what we spend the money on, as long as the government spends, spends, SPENDS!"
I, personally, agree with the spirit of the first poster who reccomends that we "worry about the robots after we figure out how to pay back our debt." (Although, it does look like Krisp wants to spend money on state-sponsored "education" - you have to have gone through a US public school to appreciate the irony in that.) And that's currently modded funny?
It's my money. Is it so wrong to let me keep it?
Carthago delenda est!
It's not the money that's important.
It's the people.
Invest in smart people solving specific hard problems, and you'll have a lot of smart people able to solve other generally hard problems.
I believe copying technology is actually a lot like copying in exams: you get a short-term gratification, but you lose long-term abilities.
Working for necessity's mother.