Building android robots must be absolutely the dumbest thing human
beings are trying to do. It is dumber than genetic tinkering, worse
than warming the climate, crazier even than atomic bombs.
The reason is obvious enough. The purpose of a man-sized,
man-shaped, autonomous artificial intelligence, boiled down to its
essentials, is to replace man. I have absolutely no problem with
robots roving the surface of Mars, where I can't go, or cleaning up
radioactive messes that would fry my bacon. But seriously, androids
exist to put humans out of work, without replacing our need to eat.
Having replaced telephone operators, drafters, assembly line workers, machinists, and
managers, (and with our sights set on teachers and university
professors) why are engineers beavering away so earnestly trying to
replace everybody else? It's not a very smart thing for smart people
to do. Haven't they read Frankenstein? Or I, Robot?
I try to be philosophical. Hominids were evolutionarily successful
because they could adapt knowledge and social structures faster than
DNA could mutate. Androids can evolve their physical structures and
processing horsepower faster than DNA too. Maybe the last Neanderthal
admired that gracile, tall-walking Homo Erectus. Maybe I can manage to
be proud of our robot descendents too.
I'm sincerely hoping to die
peacefully in my sleep before this particular turd hits the turbine.
Good luck to you new hands though.
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