/ News
Love-‘bots: future robots could become ideal lovers, experts say
Although some people might find the idea of love with a machine repulsive, experts predict that as the technology advances and robots become more human-like, we will view our silicon cousins in a friendlier light. As the future unfolds, robots will fill more roles as family caregivers, household servants, and voice-enabled avatars that manage our driverless cars, automated homes, and entertainment systems.
New Zealand researchers see a bright future for robot caregivers in this 2-min. YouTube Video. Although people have purchased inflatable sex toys for years (see video), as crude as today's 'bots may seem, experts predict that as we trek into the future, robotics development will advance exponentially, and we will eventually accept and enjoy the 'human' qualities programmed into our silicon wonders.
Today's machines can vacuum homes, stand in as pets, explore planets, and assist in surgeries. Future 'bots will allow handicapped patients to control prosthetic limbs; and latest drone technologies include swarms of mosquito-sized flying 'botsthat could search collapsed buildings for trapped victims; or wield crippling stings to terrorists or criminals holding victims hostage. However, some fear security concerns.
Technologies to build robots that perceive their surroundings, move by themselves, and perform tasks without human oversight should reach fruition by mid-2030s, experts say. By mid-2040s, these marvels could exhibit a human-like mind, with fleshy skin; and possess traits vital for a loving partner.
Jason Nemeth, in his essay, "Should Robots Feel" believes love-companion robots will be practical in the future, and may one day satisfy all our intimate desires. Nemeth is not sure whether human/robot love will experience higher success rates than love between two humans, but he says tomorrow's robots will unlock the possibilities, and humans eager to experiment will take it from there.
Carnegie Mellon's Hans Moravec believes that by late 2020s, we will create robots in humanoid form. These 'bots would 'drink wine' for fuel, breathe air like us, and appear amazingly human-like.
Design tricks like these, along with soft 'nanoskin' will make tomorrow's 'bots seem uncannily human, encouraging us to perceive them as friends. Author Ray Kurzweil says tomorrow's 'droids could quickly learn to flesh out our positive feelings, providing an addictive allure almost impossible for us to resist.
David Levy, author of Love and Sex with Robots, predicts that as robots become more sophisticated, growing numbers of adventurous humans will enter into intimate relationships with these intelligent 'bots.
A robot partner would be the perfect mate, never showing boredom or being inattentive, Levy says. You will always be the focus and centerpiece of their existence and you never need worry about their being unfaithful or going astray, because loyalty and being faithful will be embedded into their programming.
According to a Fox News article, researchers recently released a study, Robots, Men and Sex Tourism; predicting lifelike sex robots in brothels by mid-century. View 4-min. video.
What about the seamy side of, say, robo escorts. Would this be legal where human prostitution is not?
Today, millions are without regular sex lives or relationships. A world where everyone has someone to love and to be loved might even achieve global peace; a dream humanity has always hoped to realize.
Another area to consider is robot rights. Tomorrows 'bots may prompt lawmakers to make it illegal to turn off' a robot without their permission. In addition, should robots and humans marry? If future robots can evoke true love, robot-human marriages might one day become socially acceptable and legal.
As wild as human-machine relationships may seem today, there are reasons to think that love and sex with robots will happen. Robots are already better in math, logic, chess, and games like Jeopardy. With an intelligent mind and beautiful sexy human-like body, tomorrow's 'bots could easily capture our hearts.
This futuristic journey winds around unknown turns; but whether you love it or hate it; strong public interest suggests human-machine romances could become reality by mid-century. Comments welcome.
Source: http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/pelletier20131202
/ About us
Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.
The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies.
The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.
A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.
The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.
An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.
Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society
2015-2020
The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.
2020-2025
Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning bodily life. Such technologies will greatly enlarge the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make all kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.
2030-2035
Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence, expand human capabilities and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times. The final result at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.
2045
This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive! Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.
Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots will become affordable and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however: humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover, prerequisites for a large-scale expansion into outer space will be created as well.
Key elements of the project in the future
• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of the project of "Immortality”.