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Do you imagine a future where robots are ubiquitous, the way TVs and computers are now? Will robots work in our factories, fight in our wars, teach our children and care for our elderly? Or is that just science fiction?

What role will robots play in the future?





In “Disruptions: Helper Robots Are Steered, Tentatively, to Care for the Aging,” Nick Bilton reports that researchers are developing robots to care for elderly patients.

In the opening scene of the movie “Robot & Frank,” which takes place in the near future, Frank, an elderly man who lives alone, is arguing with his son about going to a medical center for Alzheimer’s treatment when the son interrupts him. “I brought you something,” he says to Frank. Then the son pulls a large, white, humanoid robot from the trunk of his car. Frank watches in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me,” he says as a robot helper, called the VGC-60L, stands in front of him. “I’m not this pathetic!” But as Frank soon learns, he doesn’t have much of a choice. His new robot helper is there to cook, clean, garden and keep him company. His son, mired in family and work life, is too busy to care for his ailing father. …The technology is nearly there. But some researchers worry that we are not asking a fundamental question: Should we entrust the care of people in their 70s and older to artificial assistants rather than doing it ourselves?

Students: Tell us …

What role will robots play in our future? Will robots be in every home, the way we now have TVs and computers? Will they work in our factories, fight in our wars, teach our children and care for our elderly?

Do you interact with any robots in your life already?

Do you think robots will bring more benefits or downsides? Why?

Will robots of the future have human qualities, like a sense of touch, the ability to learn, feelings and emotions?

Are there certain tasks or roles that we should not let robots do — that would be unethical or irresponsible on our part?

Do you think robots should be designed to care for the elderly, as described in the article?

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