The Robotic Threat

I found our discussion on Tuesday about the uncanny valley completely fascinating, and I've actually been thinking about it a lot. Obviously, I haven't spent near as much time on it as Dr. J, so I know there are things I'm not thinking through all the way, but I want to consider another possibility for the drop-off in the uncanny valley.

Of course, I think that attributing the valley to humans' fear of deception is quite apt. As I mentioned in class, it would be extremely unnerving to hear that your friend had actually been replaced by a robot double. This isn't because robots are inherently scary, but because no one wants to think that they were fooled so well that they couldn't even tell their friend had been replaced by an impostor. As robots become increasingly more human-esque, so does the fear that we'll no longer be able to tell who's a robot and who isn't.

As much as I like this theory, I feel like there's got to be something further. One idea that I've come up with is that humans feel threatened by robots in several different ways. First, there is the familiar sci-fi plot: in a futuristic world, robots have become a staple in everyday life, often with one present in the home to perform domestic chores. However, they've developed such higher thinking capabilities that they recognize their inferiority to humans, and thus turn and revolt upon mankind. This AI revolution has been present in so many entertainment mediums in the last few decades that I believe the public has a general idea of the (fictional?) prospective threat. The more advanced robotics becomes, the more this threat seems to encroach.

Aside from the more direct, aggressive threat proposed in a robot revolution, I think that humans are also afraid to lose their dominating, superior status in the world. We're already aware of the benefits that machines such as robots bring to industry, but as they're becoming more widespread they're being utilized in myriad other ways, from vacuuming rooms to performing surgery. While the idea of using robots to make production more effective or to perform menial tasks seems great at the outset, I believe that people can sense how much more the world is beginning to rely on machines. Of course, there is only one direction to go from there: instead of blaming Mexicans for taking all the jobs, people will eventually be blaming robots. As far as I see it, the less that humans are needed in order to accomplish something, the lower their value and status become in the world, while those of robots rise. When we have been on top for so long, we don't want to imagine a society in which we have a superior.

I know that this doesn't address the reason that the valley inclines again, but I thought this aspect was really interesting. Now that I've kinda geeked out, please tell me what you guys think of my idea, what's wrong with it, or what your own ideas are!