"Two competing visions for the future of robots are taking shape in Silicon Valley hardware giants, university research labs, and, of course, Nvidia. One is the stuff of science fiction: humanoid robots (also known in science fiction as Gynoids, fembots, Stepford wives, droids, replicants, synthetics, Cylons, Autons, hosts, hubots, fabricants, bioroids, boomers, persocons, reploids, artificial persons, skinjobs, clankers, and toasters)."
"I don't get it. And if you're a frequent reader of my column, you know I find the humanoid robot idea creepy, suspicious and problematic. But if you think I'm a Neo-Luddite, I can assure you I'm super excited about the possibilities for our robotic future. I think everything that can be robotic should be robotic. That's why I was so excited about what Carnegie Mellon University researchers call " unobtrusive physical AI." (I prefer to describe it as "ambient robotics.")"
"The idea is that sensors monitor human activity, AI divines intention, and robotics helps people do what they're trying to do seamlessly, invisibly, and intuitively. The concept is the embodied intelligence version of "ambient computing" - a computer so integrated into your environment that it acts without your direct command. Instead of typing or tapping screens, devices sense what you need and do it automatically."
Two divergent robotic futures are emerging: humanoid robots that mimic people and unobtrusive physical AI that embeds intelligence into environments. Humanoid robots aim to simulate human physiology and movement, often evoking discomfort and ethical concerns. Unobtrusive physical AI, or ambient robotics, uses sensors to monitor activity, AI to infer intentions, and robotic systems to assist seamlessly and intuitively. Ambient computing removes direct commands by sensing needs and acting automatically. Historical conceptual roots trace to Mark Weiser's vision of technology fading into the background. The unobtrusive approach prioritizes practical, invisible assistance over humanlike robot replication.
Read at Computerworld
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