Ai+ Training

A year ago, the occasional robot seen stocking groceries or wandering the hallways seemed like a novelty. But COVID-19 has brought new need for transporting things safely, getting groceries and other essentials delivered to our doorstep, sanitizing our offices and schools in between shifts, or even driving us to work. Of course, many people depend on these jobs to earn a living. Our governments have a responsibility to make sure they receive economic relief and have opportunities to generate income. But amid a deadly pandemic, no one should have to choose between working and getting infected. We have spent decades honing the technology for robots to perform in these new applications. Now it’s time to get serious about what it will take to integrate them into our society. Hundreds of robots blanketing your city could be a dangerous prospect, especially if they don’t understand the rules we all follow that make those spaces navigable and safe.

This talk will explore the ways robots deployed our roads, sidewalks, offices, in homes and will compel us to rethink the role of technology in society—from the practical level, such as figuring out how robots will deal with bystanders as they make their way through our neighborhoods, and the need for new human and robot languages and norms, to more  philosophical issues, especially navigating the tension of how these technologies will differentially impact groups in society, and the role of public-private partnerships in ensuring safe autonomous robots in society.