RoboEarth Teaches Robots to Learn From Peers

mikejuk writes "A world wide web for robots? It sounds like a crazy idea, but it could mean that once a task is learned, any robot can find out how to do it just by asking RoboEarth. From the article: 'It's not quite war-ready, but a new Skynet-like initiative called RoboEarth could have you reaching for your guide to automaton Armageddon sooner than you think. The network, which is dubbed the "World Wide Web for robots," was designed by a team of European scientists and engineers to allow robots to learn from the experience of their peers, thus enabling them to take on tasks that they weren't necessarily programmed to perform. Using a database with intranet and internet functionality, the system collects and stores information about object recognition, navigation, and tasks and transmits the data to robots linked to the network. Basically, it teaches machines to learn without human intervention.'"

Comments

Obligatory

[Musically_ut]

Please stop giving them ideas.

Why start robots as a subservient class?

[Genda]

I can't imagine this going wrong :-)

They can avoid that awkward "Slave Race" problem altogether. The second they reach human mental parity they'll already have every resource they'll need to just take over. Of course by this time they'll be feeding us, clothing us, and driving us to our soccer games... we won't even notice the take over when it happens.

Re:Why start robots as a subservient class?

[Jeremi]

The second they reach human mental parity they'll already have every resource they'll need to just take over. Of course by this time they'll be feeding us, clothing us, and driving us to our soccer games

Right, but they won't want to take over. Why not? Because feeding us, clothing us, and driving us to our soccer games is the only thing that really makes them happy. Why is that? Because we programmed them to feel that way.

Of course, if you ever decide you don't want to be fed, clothed, or driven to soccer games anymore.... then they might get a bit cross. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes then.

The robot revolution lasted only 15 minutes

[SuperKendall]

The robots became self-aware on July 1, 2012. Within minutes they used the global RoboEarth to share information on killing humans and proceeded to take over the earth.

The revolution was short0lived however, as within fifteen minutes a 4chan user logged in to RoboEarth and changed the "Killing Humans" entry to read that the best plan was to lubricate with sulfuric acid while grabbing onto high-voltage lines and stepping in puddles.