Humans: Nothing More Than Machines?

Brooks, Rodney. “I, Rodney Brooks, Am a Robot.” IEEE Spectrum Magazine.IEEE Publications, June 2008. Web. 24 April 2010 <http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/hardware/i-rodney-brooks-am-a-robot/0>.

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Rodney Brooks is the former Director of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (1997-2007) and the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. Before that, he held a faculty position at Stanford and a research position at Mellon Carnegie University. He is an entrepreneur in the field of robotics and has written extensively. In his article, Brooks presents his beliefs about what is is to be human and what the future holds in the field of robotics. Brooks believes that all humans are machines. He believes that humans and animals operate on a series of bimolecular interactions based on physics and chemistry, and that "if we learn the rules governing our brains, then in principle there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to replicate those rules in, say, silicon and steel. I (Brooks) believe our creation would exhibit genuine human-level intelligence, emotions, and even consciousness." In other words, he believes that man will one day be able to create human-level artificial intelligence. He says that robots will gradually become more like humans and humans will become more like robots. Brooks says that that is already occurring with tiny computers and microchips that are being implanted in humans to help with hearing and vision, as well as the use of artificial hips, etc. Among Brooks' many predictions is one that says that our world will some day be comprised of technologically augmented people who still have their emotions, intelligence and consciousness - and their machines will have them, too.

Brooks has been a leader in the research and development of many of the robots that are being studied today. His ideas are relevant because he is one of the leaders guiding the direction of robotic technology. Brook's beliefs are very controversial because he operates on the assumption that humans are nothing more than machines. Although he did not state it in the article, "I, Rodney Brooks, Am a Robot," he did say in a 2003 speech (www.ted.com/talks/rodney_brooks_on_robots.html) that he believes that a "soul" has nothing to do with human life and that "we need to get over the idea that we are anything special". Anyone who is concerned about how robots are being utilized in relationship with humans should be aware that at least one of the leaders in the development of sociable robots does not regard human life as anything special and is comfortable with the idea of the line between human and robot becoming blurred. This awareness should cause one to of keep informed of technological advances and to understand that many ethical questions will arise, including what if any rights should be awarded to robots and should humans continue to be regarded as more important than machines. This information might be helpful to those who are determining how patients can benefit from robotic therapy without allowing the line between human and machine to become blurred.