The Spotlight is on Robot


'Nicolas Anatol Baginsky Nicolas Anatol Baginsky

Apparently mankind has an instinctive fear of being replaced or superseded by machines at his place of work. We only have to think of the attacks on machines at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution or of Fritz Lang's vision.

Here, I don't want to go into the question as to whether increasing technology improves the quality of our lives and work, or whether we are repeatedly making ourselves superfluous. I would much rather discuss whether machines, as a result of our intellectual efforts, have a right to have adequate self representation.

The fascination of creating articifial "beings" has preoccupied man since the times of Dedalus. In the meantime, "automatic" machines are no longer a rarity.

For decades now these "creations" have been represented in films, etc. exclusively by people. Actors, dwarfs and children disguise themselves and don the most impossible costumes and try to imitate the awkward movements and chopped speech of robots.

As a result, a false picture has been created in the public eye, as to the abilities and peculiarities of cybernetic machines. Indeed, in this sense robots have no opinion of their own and they are certain not to complain about this. Last but not least, it would appear to me to be in our own interests to realize that the time has come to insist that this highly developed technical apparatus has a right to self representation. Out with "Electric Boogie" und "3-PO".

HUMUNCULUS