A Robot's Life

I read this interesting article yesterday on the Sydney Morning Herald "We, robot: the future is here" about how Japan has introduced the use of robots in our domestic and work life. In the face of an aging population, the longest life expectancy, and one of the lowest birth rates in the world, Japan has started incorporating robots into their everyday life, unlike the US, whose primary use for robots is in the military force.

The most interesting thing to me is that Saya, who is a robotic receptionist at a university is prone to mistakes when the power is low, but when confronted with accusations that "she is stupid" by the professor when she makes one, she roars back in wrath that she isn't. It is sign of the moving times not only for the new generation in Japan when extreme courtesy is less observed, but also a step ahead for "women", fighting "injustice". I wonder how many of us would actually have the courage to shout back at our bosses when we are angry with them (and their mistakes) like Saya did. If robots can be designed to show emotion that we are sometimes fearful of expressing, are they the new models that we should be emulating instead?

On the other hand, this is rather "disturbing":

Tests have shown the cute newcomers reduce stress and depression among the elderly. Just ask Sumi Kasuya, 89, who cradled a seal robot while singing it a lullaby on a recent afternoon.
"I have no grandchildren and my family does not come to see me very often," said Kasuya, clutching fast to the baby seal robot wiggling in her arms. "So I have her," she said, pointing to the seal. "She is so cute, and is always happy to see me."

This is rather sad because our daily lives have been inundated with so much technology meant to help us finish our tasks faster, but it has also the adverse effect of increasing our task, thus robbing us of the time we spend to nuture the relationships in our lives. Is this is the future for us?