02-10-2024, 10:39 PM
...as in "a real robot."
Specifically this one (called Mindar)
![[Image: robovcar5.jpg?auto=webp&width=1280]](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/24300c466cccfcd9e2b6f59b0b20bcc517df6451/2019/09/19/b7167727-2725-4a14-84a9-054b2b9d108f/robovcar5.jpg?auto=webp&width=1280)
What's fascinating about this is the division between the West and the East on this matter -- fear and hysteria on the one side, viewed as a tool (like Wikipedia or a book) on the other side. Accused of being an object of worship (which it isn't) and viewed as a more sophisticated device to guide a standard set of actions on the other side.
This particular robot has been set up in a temple as a priest who gives a set of sermons and acts as a guide to Buddhist teachings. It does have people who visit it regularly ("her", technically, since it is a "living statue" of the Boddhisatva Kwan Yin (spirit of mercy)
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14861909
(a very good and reasonably balanced article about Mindar and the limits of a robot priest and about how robots can be useful but lack the ability to be credible) https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...t-workers/
The Japanese do not view it as a god... in fact, they don't view it as having life (any more than a book has life.) It's a tool; like a video (on request) of their religious practices.
In the West (sigh) however, the Fear Is Strong (note... this is a REALLY bad op ed article) : https://www.zdnet.com/article/robot-prie...professor/
I'm a fan of robots, actually, and can see things like this (and robot coaches for exercise, etc) as very useful. However, I'm not in the majority here in the West.
small anecdote: I was walking through the San Francisco airport and came across an area where people were demonstrating a child robot that could be used to interact with autistic children (who sometimes have trouble interacting with humans). I trotted over and asked questions and talked to the robot... while all around me, most of my fellow passengers were actually changing the path of their walk to avoid this little robot...by as much distance as I could manage. I asked the "minders" about the response and they said that generally Americans reacted with disgust or fear but foreign visitors seemed charmed and intrigued and some felt that it would help someone they knew.
I was sad that Americans would fear a child-sized interactive toy like this. I suspect that if someone set up a robot priest somewhere in America, there'd be violence done (and some whacky politician would put up a video of them flame-throwering all sorts of robots.)
Anyway... robot priests. An idea that much of the rest of the world might embrace someday.
Specifically this one (called Mindar)
What's fascinating about this is the division between the West and the East on this matter -- fear and hysteria on the one side, viewed as a tool (like Wikipedia or a book) on the other side. Accused of being an object of worship (which it isn't) and viewed as a more sophisticated device to guide a standard set of actions on the other side.
This particular robot has been set up in a temple as a priest who gives a set of sermons and acts as a guide to Buddhist teachings. It does have people who visit it regularly ("her", technically, since it is a "living statue" of the Boddhisatva Kwan Yin (spirit of mercy)
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14861909
(a very good and reasonably balanced article about Mindar and the limits of a robot priest and about how robots can be useful but lack the ability to be credible) https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...t-workers/
The Japanese do not view it as a god... in fact, they don't view it as having life (any more than a book has life.) It's a tool; like a video (on request) of their religious practices.
In the West (sigh) however, the Fear Is Strong (note... this is a REALLY bad op ed article) : https://www.zdnet.com/article/robot-prie...professor/
I'm a fan of robots, actually, and can see things like this (and robot coaches for exercise, etc) as very useful. However, I'm not in the majority here in the West.
small anecdote: I was walking through the San Francisco airport and came across an area where people were demonstrating a child robot that could be used to interact with autistic children (who sometimes have trouble interacting with humans). I trotted over and asked questions and talked to the robot... while all around me, most of my fellow passengers were actually changing the path of their walk to avoid this little robot...by as much distance as I could manage. I asked the "minders" about the response and they said that generally Americans reacted with disgust or fear but foreign visitors seemed charmed and intrigued and some felt that it would help someone they knew.
I was sad that Americans would fear a child-sized interactive toy like this. I suspect that if someone set up a robot priest somewhere in America, there'd be violence done (and some whacky politician would put up a video of them flame-throwering all sorts of robots.)
Anyway... robot priests. An idea that much of the rest of the world might embrace someday.
