Module: TM129
Assignment: TMA 03
Page 1 of 18
,Question 1
a) The position of researchers who believe in Weak AI is characterised
around functionality, that robotics and indeed AI is limited to
programming and function and although Weak AI may simulate
human cognition it is limited to a specific area. For example, email
spam filters use algorithms to redirect messages believed to be
spam. (Frankenfield, 2022).
In contrast to Weak AI, Strong AI is used to describe the theoretical
development of AI to have equal intelligence to humans, to be self-
aware and plan for the future. Strong AI can perform a variety of
functions simultaneously and can eventually learn to solve new
problems. (IBM, 2020). Researchers who believe in Strong AI support
the theory that one day robotics will become conscious.
I take the position that one day robots will become sentient and that
Strong AI is the future of robotics but also the future of humanity.
Humans have always been curious and adventurers, as we learn
more about our universe and about our origins we will need
technology and artificial intelligence to achieve our goals and thus
the question of ethics and AI rights are raised. As medical sciences
evolve to a degree where surgeries are carried out remotely using
robots and wifi connection, will the next step be immortality in the
sense of humans uploading their consciousness to a matrix of a
collective? I believe that we, as humans, must acknowledge and
start to take responsibility for the fact that we will, one day in the
not-too-distant future, create a sentient race that will be better than
us in every way and that will achieve its own goals, it is up to use to
prepare what that future will look like for the good of humanity and
our co-evolution with robots.
Page 2 of 18
, b) The Oxford dictionary definition for anthropomorphism is “the
attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal or
objects”. Anthropomorphic design in robotics is the attribution of
distinctively human-like emotions, mental state and behavioural
characteristics with the objective to give robots social presence and
behaviours that human users can engage with comfortably for long
lasting relations with machines (Damiano and Dumouchel, 2018).
Autonomy can be defined as the “freedom from external control or
influence: independence” (Oxford Learners Dictionary, 2022) In
robotics autonomy means that a robot can run independent of
supervision from people and relies on input from its surroundings
and other sources to understand the world around it before making
decisions (Bennett, 2021).
Two features that encourage people to treat robots
anthropomorphically are visual appearance (how human-like does
the robot look) and actions/behaviour independent of human input
(relatable character).
Page 3 of 18
Assignment: TMA 03
Page 1 of 18
,Question 1
a) The position of researchers who believe in Weak AI is characterised
around functionality, that robotics and indeed AI is limited to
programming and function and although Weak AI may simulate
human cognition it is limited to a specific area. For example, email
spam filters use algorithms to redirect messages believed to be
spam. (Frankenfield, 2022).
In contrast to Weak AI, Strong AI is used to describe the theoretical
development of AI to have equal intelligence to humans, to be self-
aware and plan for the future. Strong AI can perform a variety of
functions simultaneously and can eventually learn to solve new
problems. (IBM, 2020). Researchers who believe in Strong AI support
the theory that one day robotics will become conscious.
I take the position that one day robots will become sentient and that
Strong AI is the future of robotics but also the future of humanity.
Humans have always been curious and adventurers, as we learn
more about our universe and about our origins we will need
technology and artificial intelligence to achieve our goals and thus
the question of ethics and AI rights are raised. As medical sciences
evolve to a degree where surgeries are carried out remotely using
robots and wifi connection, will the next step be immortality in the
sense of humans uploading their consciousness to a matrix of a
collective? I believe that we, as humans, must acknowledge and
start to take responsibility for the fact that we will, one day in the
not-too-distant future, create a sentient race that will be better than
us in every way and that will achieve its own goals, it is up to use to
prepare what that future will look like for the good of humanity and
our co-evolution with robots.
Page 2 of 18
, b) The Oxford dictionary definition for anthropomorphism is “the
attribution of human characteristics or behaviour to a god, animal or
objects”. Anthropomorphic design in robotics is the attribution of
distinctively human-like emotions, mental state and behavioural
characteristics with the objective to give robots social presence and
behaviours that human users can engage with comfortably for long
lasting relations with machines (Damiano and Dumouchel, 2018).
Autonomy can be defined as the “freedom from external control or
influence: independence” (Oxford Learners Dictionary, 2022) In
robotics autonomy means that a robot can run independent of
supervision from people and relies on input from its surroundings
and other sources to understand the world around it before making
decisions (Bennett, 2021).
Two features that encourage people to treat robots
anthropomorphically are visual appearance (how human-like does
the robot look) and actions/behaviour independent of human input
(relatable character).
Page 3 of 18
