Robots, Computers and You.

After seeing ‘I, Robot’ some friends and I engaged in a lively debate about the nature of robots, robotics and their relationships to people and computers.  The essential argument centered on the questions “Is a robot a computer?”

Now, everyone seems to have an opinion on the subject and the larger consensus seems to be that a robot is simply a mechanical simulacrum controlled by a computer.

Of course, I disagree.

From a fundamental standpoint I agree that a robot is a mechanical apparatus under the control of a computer comprised of both hardware and software components.  But in order to truly engage in this topic you must have a concrete definition of a robot and what is a computer.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a robot as “A machine used to perform jobs automatically, which is controlled by a computer.” And a computer is defined as “An electronic machine which is used for storing, organizing, and finding words, numbers and pictures, for doing calculations and for controlling other machines.”

Merriam-Webster gives one definition of a robot as “A machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex tasks” and another as “A device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks”.  A computer is defined as “a programmable electronic device that can store, retrieve and process data”.

Now, aside from some semantic differences, both sources agree that a robot is a mechanical device that performs tasks while a computer is a device that controls other devices and processes data.

In our every day world we do not see robots.  Or do we?  We do see computers every day, but do we realize that the box sitting on our desktop is actually a form of robot?

I’m not Isaac Asimov and so I hold no romantic illusions about robots looking and acting like humans.  I certainly don’t want my toaster arguing with me over how brown my Pop-Tart should be.

Robots are used in manufacturing every day.  They move delicate and complex microprocessor wafers and weld joints on automobiles.  So why is your computer any different?  You tell it to burn a CD, it does.  The operating system interprets your commands, processes them through the central processing unit and tells the CD writing device to write the data.  How is that not a robot?

Or a better question might be, are YOU a robot?

Are you sure about that?

The human brain is essentially a central processing and storage apparatus that responds to the input sent to it in the form of electro-chemical impulses from various input mechanisms such as the eyes, ears and skin.  A human being is programmed to respond to each electro-chemical input in a particular manner by retrieving, storing and processing data.

And if you’re still naïve enough to think a human being can’t be programmed, just ask the fine folks at any television network such as ABC, NBC, CBS, or Fox.  Why do you think they call it “Television Programming”?

An argument can be made that the human brain may act as a type of natural computer, but how does that make a human being compare to a robot?

Look at the definitions again and you will see that the leap from a robot to a computer is miniscule and the leap to human isn’t much of a stretch either.  A robot is designed to perform tasks, tasks specified by a computer.  Your brain tells your hands to do something and they simply do it.  The more common and repetitive the task, the more efficient the human robot becomes at performing this task.

Still don’t think you’re a robot?  How fast can you type?  How do you think you got that way?  Your brain was programmed to use a particular language and then to identify keys on the keyboard in a particular order in order.  The more you type, the more programmed you become at looking for those keys in those places.  Try changing keyboard from a standard to a natural or even to a Dvorak and see how jacked up your programming becomes.

The examples are endless.  Professional athletes program themselves to perform the same task as precisely as possible in order to make the bat hit the ball, sink the putt, or nail the free throw.  Electronics assemblers get so efficient at putting together certain devices that they don’t even have to think about it any more.

An old axiom seems to sum it up best:  “I can do that with my eyes closed.”

Of course I can, I’m the robot and that’s my programming.

Will