Recently, there has been a lot of news surrounding robotics. When I saw AI Business post about Figure’s new commercially viable humanoid robot, I knew I had to post about it.
Autonomous, humanlike robots are no longer a work of science fiction. As James Cameron said in the Netflix documentary “What’s Next,” science fiction is becoming harder to write. Things we may think are science fiction today are much closer to reality than ever before. While the director of Terminator contemplates our future, we can take a breath of relief knowing that current tech capabilities do not match those of Skynet. But with the rapid advancements in robotics, AI, and lifelike machines capable of performing human-like tasks, it’s hard not to wonder: Is Terminator on his way? And if so, what does that mean for us?
Nvidia, one of the biggest names in AI, recently announced a suite of new tools designed specifically for humanoid robot developers. This toolbox, Nvidia NIM, contained microservices like MimicGen NIM, Robocasa NIM, and Osmo, which enabled developers to work more easily than ever on developing robots inspired by humans. With the tools offered by Nvidia, companies like Figure AI can complete projects that would have otherwise taken months in a couple of days.
Just a week after Siggraph, Figure introduced Figure 02, and around the same time, BMW shared insights about the robot’s test run in their Spartanburg factory. The results were impressive. Figure 02 successfully handled heavy car parts and performed tasks requiring precision and dexterity. This is exciting because it demonstrates that robotics can help reduce the risks from strenuous labor, decreasing the likelihood of accidents. While we saw Figure 02 doing its thing in industry, Figure shared that they also designed the robot to be in homes.
I’ll let you in on a secret. I’ve actually always dreamed of having a robot companion. In a film class I took in college, I watched a Japanese animated film called “Time of Eve”. The movie centers around a human boy who one day discovers that his home android has a life of her own. It’s a story that questions what constitutes being a human. While the story is very deep and existential, I was super fascinated by the companionship between androids and humans. Humanoid robots have the potential to achieve so much, whether it lies in manual chores or something more academic like tutoring; the possibilities lie with our imagination. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have an uncanny feeling for robots at home, especially one who has high emotional intelligence and may know me better than I know myself.
The other day, I read an article about a team of Chinese researchers from Hohai University working on making humanoid robots more emotionally intelligent. They’ve developed robots that can mimic complex human expressions. It’s awesome that research is making huge strides on this front, but it’s a bit eerie to think about what these AI models in the robots might be capable of. It’s even more concerning when the robots use black box models lacking explainability and transparency. Who’s to say the robot won’t try to manipulate my thoughts or emotions? After all, we already have social media algorithms that strongly influence how we feel based on what we are exposed to.
And this leads us to the question conspiracy theorists fear—if robots can subtly influence our emotions, what’s to stop them from gaining more control over our lives? Is this the start of a Terminator-like scenario? Are we creating robots that could one day outthink, outwork, or even overpower us? And to that, I would say, we are still a long way from creating anything remotely close to a self-aware, malevolent AI like Skynet. However, I concede that there are legitimate concerns about what will happen when robots become more autonomous.
Humanoid robots will play a significant role in the future—maybe not the apocalyptic ones we’ve seen in movies. The potential and trends in innovation are too enticing not to pursue. Robots have the potential to make our lives easier, more efficient, and maybe even a little more fun. Whether that future moves towards the better or something straight out of a dystopian blockbuster will be how we choose to build and apply the technologies. With the current development trends, humanoid robots aren’t here to overthrow us, but they will redefine what it means to work, connect, and live in the 21st century. A lot will change, and let’s hope that whatever is coming our way, we will be ready for it.