Robots
from The Compass Hosted by BBC World Service
Aleks Krotoski and Ben Hammersley discover how to prepare for the social, economic and technological changes that are coming in the next few decades so we can all thrive in the future. In the past the only places you were likely to see robots was on the big screen or on the factory floor, but now they are entering the home. In fact you may already have an Alexa to play a favourite tune or settle a debate with a quick Google search. If you are lucky there is a Roomba programmed to clean the floor. Perhaps your child already has a toy that can talk back to them? But are we really prepared for a world full of such machines? These will not be mindless automatons - we are talking about robots that will be part of the fabric of our homes, robots designed to interact with us like social beings, robots that will be constantly monitoring their owners and learning everything about us. Aleks and Ben learn how you can use robots as an extension of your own body, and how they can also influence how we feel and behave without us even being aware of it. They find out how our homes will have to be changed to make the human environment robot friendly. And they discover that in the very near future robots may no longer be mere tools, but will become our friends and partners. (Photo: Japanese lady walks around Tokyo with her robot)
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