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People Will Follow a Robot In an Emergency - Even If It's Wrong (gatech.edu)
An anonymous reader writes: Imagine a future where instead of siting through fire alarms with your fingers in your ears, a robot come comes to greet you and guide you out of the building. Researchers at Georgia Tech created an emergency guidance robot and then looked at whether or not people would follow the robot during an emergency. 'The research was designed to determine whether or not building occupants would trust a robot designed to help them evacuate a high-rise in case of fire or other emergency. But the researchers were surprised to find that the test subjects followed the robot's instructions – even when the machine's behavior should not have inspired trust.' The robot first guided people to a meeting room. In some conditions the robot broke along the way to the meeting room. Then, unbeknownst to the subjects, the researchers filled the hallway with smoke and set off the fire alarms. Given the option of going out the way they came or following the robot down an unknown hall, nearly all followed the robot.
If the researchers had designed a correct control for the experiment, they'd know that robots have nothing to do with it. Milgram's Obedience Experiment 50 years ago tells us exactly what happened: people deemed the robot to be an authority, thus followed it uncritically.
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
Actually, in reading this article.. I wonder how the test was introduced to the subjects. Were they told that the purpose of the test was to pretend that their lives were in danger and act as they would if it were true? Or were they told that the point of the test was to follow the robot. If I am in this test and I am led to believe that the purpose is to follow the robot and I am not absolutely convinced that my life is truly in danger, I am much more likely to follow the original directions.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
And 85% of the people will believe the percentages you just made up.
Just another day in Paradise