{"id":7251,"date":"2024-01-28T16:27:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-28T15:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/demystifying-the-fear-of-robots-and-ai-a-reality-check\/"},"modified":"2024-01-28T16:27:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-28T15:27:00","slug":"why-is-everyone-so-afraid-of-robots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/en\/why-is-everyone-so-afraid-of-robots\/","title":{"rendered":"Demystifying the Fear of Robots and AI \u2013 A Reality Check"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Indeed, studies show that the actual fear of robots in the workplace is quite low. In contrast, the fear of AI is actually on the rise. However, artificial intelligence is a key reason why cognitive robots will play as significant a role in our daily lives in the future as our smartphones do today. Therefore, I find it extremely important to question the concerns related to robotics and AI in order to understand and address their causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fear of the Unknown<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Certainly, there\u2019s a fundamental phenomenon at play: the instinctive fear of humans towards the unknown. We approach anything new and different with the utmost caution. This behavior is as old as humanity and helped us survive through history. AI and robots represent something completely new and signify an unknown future. But unlike wild predators, they are created by humans. So, we must ask: If this feeling of anxiety isn\u2019t natural, where does it come from?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misrepresentation 1: The bad Robot \u2013 Made in Hollywood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For those not dealing with robotics on a daily basis \u2013 which is most people \u2013 knowledge of robots comes primarily from the entertainment industry. Hollywood has had a significant influence on the values and fears of the Western world for about a hundred years. Unfortunately, entertainment needs to be thrilling to be successful at the box office. Typically, this requires a villain or adversary, who is usually powerful and seemingly invincible. Without such a challenge, there would be no story for the heroes. As Hollywood constantly searches for new threats to create more suspense, filmmakers have identified machines, and later robots or AI, as the perfect evolution of the human antagonist. This Hollywood portrayal of threatening machines has shaped several generations from a young age. It has seeped into our collective subconscious. Movies like \u201cTerminator\u201d and \u201cEx Machina,\u201d or more recently \u201cThe Creator,\u201d generate dystopian scenarios. Seemingly evil robots and overpowering artificial intelligences develop their own agendas and threaten humanity. These films reinforce irrational fears and foster distrust towards machines \u2013 even though the stories are often completely unrealistic, to put it mildly. In these times of entertainment saturation, it\u2019s evidently more necessary to distinguish between fiction and reality. This applies not only to individuals but also to the media in its reporting. And I wish Hollywood would try more often to derive suspense from reality. And reality is that even robots with AI do not possess souls or follow a hidden agenda. A robot with advanced AI only does what humans allow it to. And that\u2019s precisely my point: The responsibility for robots\u2019 behavior always lies with the humans who create them. Some films, like \u201cI, Robot,\u201d also explore this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, robots are nothing more or less than helpful tools that take work off our hands and give us more time for humanity. They are no more dangerous than a hammer. In fact, you can\u2019t program a hammer to never harm a human. Anyone who has ever hit their finger with a hammer can attest to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misrepresentation 2: Robots as Job Killers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Back to reality: The public debate has been stirring fears for decades that machines and robots will take our jobs. But is that true? No! Of course, automation \u2013 even when the assembly line was invented \u2013 had short-term effects on the demand for certain professions, and certain jobs no longer needed to be done by humans. But what kind of jobs were they? These were usually tasks where humans were essentially used as machines or robots. Shortly after, new job fields emerged due to increased productivity. Why is it rarely or never emphasized in this debate that new technologies always create new opportunities and jobs? And such jobs are less dangerous, less strenuous, and moreover, better paid. Nowadays, the reality in the job market is quite different: many jobs lack human workers because nobody wants to do them. If we don\u2019t soon receive support from robotics and AI and create the necessary legal framework for it, we will see more problems and stagnation in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are we lousy passengers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One thing remains: the fear of losing control. Many feel less safe in airplanes than behind the wheel of their own car \u2013 even though statistics prove this feeling is unfounded. The idea of autonomous robots making independent decisions awakens this fear of losing control. We only truly trust things we fully understand and control. This means we need to report on robotics and AI more factually and better, inform and educate people. And, of course, publicly discuss and answer important ethical questions. For example, machines should not make moral decisions. Only with facts and knowledge can robotics gain the public\u2019s trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Need a New Image of Robots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Robots are not what Hollywood and the media repeatedly try to sell us. Rather, robots \u2013 including the upcoming generation of cognitive robots \u2013 are modern tools with complex effects on society. In my opinion, the positive aspects clearly outweigh the negatives. With education, transparent communication, and responsible political and corporate decisions, we can contribute to painting a positive image of robots. We should start doing
so as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In fact, you can\u2019t program a hammer to never harm a human. I would be more afraid of hammers than of robotics and AI. It is often said and written that people are afraid of robots. This didn\u2019t sit well with me, especially since I personally have never met anyone who feels this way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":7154,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[44,38,23,212,43,35],"tags":[169,134,135,88,199,183,210,182],"class_list":["post-7251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artificial-intelligence","category-economy","category-kuenstliche-intelligenz","category-private","category-social","category-thoughts","tag-ai-2","tag-fear","tag-fear-of-robots","tag-gesellschaft","tag-humanoid-robots","tag-robotic-2","tag-robotics","tag-robots"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDemystifying the Fear of Robots and AI \u2013 A Reality Check - David Reger<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"David Reger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/davidreger.com\/en\/why-is-everyone-so-afraid-of-robots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Demystifying the Fear of Robots and AI \u2013 A Reality Check - 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