Week 3

Robotics + Art

    It has become increasingly common to see robots in our everyday lives. For example, there are robots at UCLA called Starships that deliver food and beverages. Each year, we see new advancements in technology with the intention of making our lives easier and more efficient. Robotic engineers take inspiration from nature and art, designing robots with lifelike movements and interactions. This creation of new and innovative projects requires a fusion of robotics and art. 


    Creativity and artistry are required "to make robots extremely human-like in their physical presence and their capabilities" (Hanson). In his Ted Talk, David Hanson elucidates the advantages of designing machines to resemble humans, citing the innate human tendency to react to faces as a key factor. Consequently, not only can robots be viewed as works of art, but they also have the ability to produce art, as demonstrated in the video below. 

    While artificial intelligence and other modern technological advances provide promising capabilities for solving relevant problems, it is important to note the potential drawbacks and ethical considerations associated with their use. For example, many people are worried or feel threatened that they will be replaced in the workforce. While this is true, Google CEO, Sundar Pichai estimates that two-thirds of jobs will change or be reinvented but not necessarily become obsolete. In terms of art, Benjamin Walter describes the idea of mechanical reproduction as a "shattering of tradition". One aspect of robots that I find especially concerning is the idea of emergent properties, which occurs when a robot performs a task that was not pre-programmed, like the robots who learned how to play soccer in the 60 Minutes video. 


Works Cited

Sources:

“The Ai Revolution: Google's Developers on the Future of Artificial Intelligence | 60 Minutes.” YouTube, YouTube, 16 Apr. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=880TBXMuzmk.

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1936.

“The Future of Robotics: David Hanson at Tedxtaipei 2012.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 May 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS_4R6Avlew.

Vesna, Victoria. “Industrialization, Robotics, Kinetic / robotic art” Lecture. CoLE DESMA 9. April 17. 2023. Web. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics part 2” Lecture. CoLE DESMA 9. April 17. 2023. Web. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics Intro” Lecture. CoLE DESMA 9. March 26. 2012. Web.


Photos/Video:

“The Artist in the Machine? Meet 'Ai-Da,' the AI Robot Debuting Her Work in London's Design Museum.” YouTube, YouTube, 19 May 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCVgNDdlH4A.

Hamilton, Isobel Asher. “Food Delivery Company Starship Technologies Has Enjoyed Explosive Growth during the Pandemic. It Doesn't Mind That Kids Are Feeding Its Robots Bananas.” Business Insider, Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-technologies-finds-kids-feeding-its-robots-bananas-2021-1.

Vanderberg, Zane. “Will Customer Service Be Replaced by Robots?” TeamSupport, https://www.teamsupport.com/blog/will-customer-service-be-replaced-by-robots.








Comments

  1. Mackenzie HernandezApril 20, 2023 at 5:47 PM

    Hi Sofia! I was shocked to learn that robots can create art because I have never seen one do it. I am curious how they are programmed to do this and if they could have the ability to choose what they draw or paint. Also, how do you feel about robots learning things they weren't programmed to do? I for one find this scary because I have seen one to many robot uprising movies or shows.

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