02-26-2024, 01:44 PM
It's true, Westerners have a lot more suspicion of robots than Asians in general. The reason is simple: we have grown up with movies like the Terminator series, and Star Wars (remember the killer droids on Mandalorian, not the cute, friendly R2-D2). We are also, as a rule, under-educated in STEM subjects. Asians have grown up creating these devices and see them as more benign tools than potential enemies.
And that's exactly what they are: tools. Sophisticated, versatile tools.
Like computers, they can be used for good or evil. For Asians, they are good sources of commerce as Asia (China) controls the vast majority of the world's rare earths, required to produce the needed semiconductors. For the West, computers have already become our bosses and overseers in a large sense; want to really see me ticked off in a store? Tell me "the computer won't let me do that." Do you work for a computer? Is the computer your superior? If so, if I'm talking to someone who is less than a machine, I don't need to even be here! just tell me you don't want to do whatever it is I have requested; I won't like it but I won't be incensed by it.
The autistic aide is something I could see promise in. But the priest? That brings up a while new problem for me.
We relegate repetitive tasks to computers and robots, in order to free up humans for more "important" activities. In that sense, seeing as a priest in Western religion is seen as a conduit to God Himself and a leader of the faith, the use of a priest robot is akin to relegating contact with God to a lower-level importance in the religion. Since the purpose of the religion is to draw closer to God, the very concept is sacrilegious and blasphemous.
Understand that I present this opinion based on Western religions. Many Asian religions do not ascribe divinity to a god. Buddhism and Maoism specifically come to mind. In these religions, perhaps the argument I make is a moot point. I will not claim otherwise; although I do claim Christianity and believe it to be the closest we have to the truth, I also believe that man is endowed by God Himself with free will, and freedom of religion is a part and parcel of that. The decision as to how wrong this application is in a specific religious setting is one that can only be made by the followers of that religion. I speak to my religion only.
It's interesting to watch the development in any case. We do indeed live in interesting times. Whether that is a good or bad thing I leave to the individual observer.
TheRedneck
And that's exactly what they are: tools. Sophisticated, versatile tools.
Like computers, they can be used for good or evil. For Asians, they are good sources of commerce as Asia (China) controls the vast majority of the world's rare earths, required to produce the needed semiconductors. For the West, computers have already become our bosses and overseers in a large sense; want to really see me ticked off in a store? Tell me "the computer won't let me do that." Do you work for a computer? Is the computer your superior? If so, if I'm talking to someone who is less than a machine, I don't need to even be here! just tell me you don't want to do whatever it is I have requested; I won't like it but I won't be incensed by it.
The autistic aide is something I could see promise in. But the priest? That brings up a while new problem for me.
We relegate repetitive tasks to computers and robots, in order to free up humans for more "important" activities. In that sense, seeing as a priest in Western religion is seen as a conduit to God Himself and a leader of the faith, the use of a priest robot is akin to relegating contact with God to a lower-level importance in the religion. Since the purpose of the religion is to draw closer to God, the very concept is sacrilegious and blasphemous.
Understand that I present this opinion based on Western religions. Many Asian religions do not ascribe divinity to a god. Buddhism and Maoism specifically come to mind. In these religions, perhaps the argument I make is a moot point. I will not claim otherwise; although I do claim Christianity and believe it to be the closest we have to the truth, I also believe that man is endowed by God Himself with free will, and freedom of religion is a part and parcel of that. The decision as to how wrong this application is in a specific religious setting is one that can only be made by the followers of that religion. I speak to my religion only.
It's interesting to watch the development in any case. We do indeed live in interesting times. Whether that is a good or bad thing I leave to the individual observer.
TheRedneck
