Robots: Friend or Foe? Essay Example

According to Daniel H. Wilson, “In the future, when Microsoft leaves a security-flaw in their code it won’t mean that somebody hacks your computer. It will mean that somebody takes control of your servant robot and it stands in your bedroom doorway sharpening a knife and watching you sleep.” This is a frightening image when people think of robots, but it is important to determine if this can be a reality. In the modern world, robots are everywhere. They’re used to improve health care, to help us quickly discover information using the Internet, and to help humanity constantly keep developing new technologies and understandings. Many people are worried that robots are evil because if we keep building highly advanced intelligence systems, they will eventually be able to take over their own manufacturing or programming. While the thought of a world completely taken over by robots is an important theme in science fiction, it is important for us to consider that science fiction tells fantastical stories that are false. Robots are reality, but they are a human creation. As such, they will only be able to do what we tell them to. Currently, we use robots to make our lives easier, a fact that will continue to be true for decades to come.

As students, it is important for us to recognize the values of technology. Technology is allowing us to improve the economy, save lives, and push the boundaries of human knowledge. Around the world, people are able to be certain that they will have jobs because of technology. Computer programmers, mechanical engineers, and artists collaborate to build robots and ensure that they will have functional and practical applications to help man. Furthermore, doctors and researchers can then use this technology to conduct surgeries that need precise cutting and automated tools. By understanding how robots are currently used, we can determine what our societal needs are and continue to develop them in a manner that constantly benefits society.

People who argue that robots are the enemy do not understand the full extent of this picture. It is correct that robots have replaced many human jobs and have created efficiency and precision instead. While robots have replaced cashiers, factory workers, and other workers, the creation of robots has actually created new jobs in technology. These jobs require greater application of the human mind in a manner that allows us to drive society forward. Modern jobs are those that require careful thinking and planning. Because of robots, hard labor is becoming a thing of the past. We are working safer jobs that allow us to have a greater income because of the greater profitability that robots and related products allow for. While it is unfortunate that some people have lost jobs due to the creation of robots, it is important for us to think of the training that these workers can receive to be employable in the modern setting. Thus, robots are not evil. They do not steal jobs. They are simply an indicator of a changed time.

To make sure that our society is able to continue with its current ability to produce robots that are able to contribute to real change in our world, it is important to begin educating the youth about technology and computer science at an early age. This knowledge will continue to be more relevant as the years continue, and it is damaging that many interested students only begin exploring this topic while in high school or at the university. Technology has the ability to resolve many of the world’s problems, so it would be a disservice to avoid this essential topic. Robots are our friends, not foes, and we need them to improve our world.