Why are We so Scared of Robots / AIs?

This blog task is published in response to an assigned task by Dr.Dilip Barad sir. While going through the topic of ‘Techno-culture and Risk’ with the reference of Ulrich beach and his thesis thesis ‘Risk Society- Towards a new Modernity (1992), we discussed the increased use of robots/ AIs in the world, how the robots/ Ais are demonstrated in Movies or in screens. Are they harmful or useful? And in this blog I am going to write about my understanding of Ulrich Beck's concept of techno culture and risk and Why we are so afraid of Robots/ AIs.

TECHNO-CULTURE AND RISK

We have been witnessing that today technology has been taking the place of humans in every sector whether in job or giving emotional support. Humans get tired, make mistakes and take holidays whereas technology/ robots don't need any of them. They can work day and night without any mistakes. Technology turns to be a one time investment while humans are to be salaried every month and technology produces double the man produce in lesser time without tantrums. And that's the reason technology is becoming an easy and preferable choice for everyone.

Ulrich Beck in his thesis has said that there is risk to every solution and it's a never ending cycle. Risks are potential disasters. E.g: mobile is a useful tool in the classroom to help students quickly search for answers or to have extra reading. To have a look at images it's a solution to a difficult learning process but it's a risk that if it's allowed students will misuse it and hence, it needs to be banned. We live in an increasingly technological world. ‘

Society is based on scarcity and removal of scarcity. We got rid of the scarcity of food as a solution to the green revolution, the use of pesticides and fertilisers increased for the more quantity of food but it resulted in a risk of health. The quantity of food increased but the quality of food decreased.

Technology/ computers came into existence because humans couldn't do multitasking. Mobile replaced the clock, torch, calculator, book etc many small things which are our regular needs. But now today technology is replacing humans which is again a risk for society. Also we are habituated to technology/ devices such a way that if it gets a virus or even a day we can't have it we become restless. It has become difficult to care for these devices since they contain all our personal data.

Risk and solution leading to other risks continues in the political world also. The party in power is not doing work. Citizens are not happy but the alternate party might or will do the same activities coming in power. We can say. Political party itself is a risk to democracy.

Thus techno-science reveals the risk involved in contaminated and other newer problems which were problems which were previously unknown, it also delivers information about these risks. Beck’s solution to the autopoietic risk culture is to find political potential outside government.

Why are We so Scared of Robots / AIs?

Technology is giving us solutions but with risk. And perhaps this idea is majorly illustrated in our literature, movies etc. Visit Dr. Dilip Barad sir’s on why are we so scared of Robots?

The first one is about babysitter robot who becomes so obsessed of the child that murders the murder.

The second one is on the iMom - Mom robot.

The third is on Satyajit Ray's short story 'Anukul' (1976) - directed by Sujoy Ghosh

These are three sci-fi short films we were assigned to watch. Further in this blog I will answer the question based on these films.

Oscar Schwartz in his Ted Talk on ‘Can Computers Write poetry?’ has given a wonderful insight that the computer, more or less, works like a mirror that reflects any idea of a human that we show it. And perhaps that can be one of the reasons why we are scared of AIs. We don't even trust ourselves or trust other humans and so we are afraid of humans' own reflection.

After watching all these short films I realised that robots work on algorithms. They do what is told to them, they don't have their own understanding or power of spontaneous thinking. They get programmed that he/ she is its owner or master and that programming makes them emotionally attached to their master and try to love their masters but when it comes to others or overcoming feelings they fail in it.

Satyajit Ray’s film very aptly takes a reference from Mahabharata, robot asks the questions which even confuses us and the ultimate answer what the protagonists gives is ‘heart gives us answer to differentiate between right and wrong’ and that is the thing that AIs don't have. For them their duties are their duty. AI understood Mahabharata as his master explained that whoever is against you stands for right and does what your instinct says and he killed masters Cousin.

We are finding humans in AI robots. The second short film about Imom aptly showed that human emotions cannot be found in AIs. Even a single malfunction can destroy a family. A mother in love called an infant a chicken and ordered Imom to cook chicken and it cooked a baby. AIs follow the order, don't think.

Since robots lack understanding, we tend to get unnerved. While safety systems are in place, we subconsciously fret that this isn't enough. What happens if the safety systems malfunction? As the robots get more capable, they also become more complex.

"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race." 

-Stephen Hawking

We see the AIs/ Robots are villainous in all three short films. Same is also seen in Mary Shelly novel Frankenstein, The monster which is a form of robot created by humans, Victor Frankenstein is villainous. Villanising technology has been in fashion since this idea has come. Why? Perhaps as humans we are afraid that it will take our place in society, it will over power us.

While in the recent Bollywood Movies like Robot 2.0 and Ra. One we find the positive face of robots, they are not villainous and are portrayed as Saviour. Perhaps society is changing, their way of looking is changing. I personally feel that even if robots, AIs come into existence it won't be able to take humans' place so soon but for that human will have to keep their power over them or else they can enslave us.

I hope my blog is useful. Thanks for visiting.

Frankenstein - assignment

Hello everyone! This blog is our assignment task and in this blog I am answering some question from the Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein - The Modern Prometheus (1818) 

                                              

Que.-1 Why was Victor not able to accept his dream experiment and its result?

Frankenstein believes that by creating the Monster, he can discover the secrets of “life and death,” create a “new species,” and learn how to “renew life.” He is motivated to attempt these things by ambition. He wants to achieve something great, even if it comes at great cost. Frankenstein might be desperate to “renew life” because he was still grieving for his mother. One stormy night, after months of labor, Victor completes his creation. But when he brings it to life, its awful appearance horrifies him. He rushes to the next room and tries to sleep, but he is troubled by nightmares about Elizabeth and his mother’s corpse. He wakes to discover the monster looming over his bed with a grotesque smile and rushes out of the house. He spends the night pacing in his courtyard. The next morning, he goes walking in the town of Ingolstadt, avoiding a return to his now-haunted apartment. The two years of Victor’s labour resulted in an ugly, hideous, giant 8 feet tall and equally broad creature. The first appearance of the creature frightened Victor, Victor when started an experiment he was with an ambition and he wanted to achieve his dream but after the creature was ready it got a life the social human inside the Victor woke-up. He started realizing that the society won't accept such a giant creature along with its hideous look. Society might run away or get afraid of it. 

Along with, Victor must not have realized that creature is like a newborn child, a complete clean stale. As a child, they didn't know how to talk, read, stand, sit and walk. He also didn't know any of them. Creature was innocent, kind and humble like an infant but Victor felt that he might be monstrous mentally same as his physical appearance. Thinking of the society and society’s reaction he abandoned the creature and could not accept his dream experiment.

Que.-2 What made the creature a monster?
The monster is Victor Frankenstein’s creation, assembled from old body parts and strange chemicals, animated by a mysterious spark. He enters life eight feet tall and enormously strong but with the mind of a newborn. Abandoned by his creator and confused, he tries to integrate himself into society, only to be shunned universally. Looking in the mirror, he realizes his physical grotesqueness, an aspect of his persona that blinds society to his initially gentle, kind nature. The monster faces rejection and fear from his creator and society. The monster is the worst kind of scientific experiment gone awry. He does acquire humane characteristics, even compassion for his "adopted" family, the De Lacey's. The creature also begins to learn about himself and gains general knowledge through the books he reads and the conversations he hears from the De Lacey's. As depicted by Shelley, the monster is a sensitive, emotional creature whose only aim is to share his life with another sentient being like himself. From the beginning, the monster is rejected by everyone he meets. He realizes from the moment of his "birth" that even his own creator cannot stand the sight of him. The monster is a vegetarian. While speaking to Frankenstein, he tells him, "My food is not that of man; I do not destroy the lamb and the kid to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment...The picture I present to you is peaceful and human. "At the time the novel was written, argued that practicing vegetarianism was the morally right thing to do. The monster was equal to all human beings but yet he was not accepted by society only because of his look. And this again and again rejection also by his own creator frustrated the creature and the fire of revenge glowed inside him. Also when he demanded for a female mate, Victor destroyed it before giving life to the female mate. This made the creature angry that why should I (creature) spend his life in solitude and Victor enjoys his life. And in this anger he killed victor’s wife on wedding night. Seeking revenge on his creator, he kills Victor’s younger brother.

After Victor destroys his work on the female monster meant to ease the monster’s solitude, the monster murders Victor’s best friend and then his new wife. We can see in the Novel that at the end Victor is in the same position like a creature alone with no partner and living life moving in the jungles in search of a creature.


Que.- 3 Who is suffering from Deformity in the novel? What kind of deformity and disability is there? Who decides what deformity is?
The creation characterizes his physical appearance as a deformity because by the time this particular story is told in the larger scheme of the novel, he already has a firm grasp of language and comprehends conceptually aesthetic standards of corporeal beauty. As such, when the creation sees his reflection in the pool of water, he has an epiphany; he realizes he does not look even remotely similar to anyone else around him. Thus, such an observation on the part of the creation foreshadows the manner in which he is and will be received by others, as something instead of someone, thereby bestowing on him a nonhuman presence. A distinction like this further implies that he is more of a creation than a male human being, and as a result, he is considered inferior and misshapen. The creation seems to be an object of disgust and horror to all of those with whom he comes into contact, he develops a consciousness that he is ugly and it is this low esteem in regard to his appearance that becomes a disability.
According to the novel, as mentioned above, the physical deformity is shown in the character of the creature. But if we look at the things and sympathize with the creature we realize that the real deformity is in the mind of society. The mental deformity is perceived when we see the behavior of society towards creature only because of his physical appearance, no one tries to talk to him or tried to understand him or know him everyone started beating/ lynching him whenever they saw him in such a manner that creature started living in jungles. Their behavior towards the creature was only because of his looks. By the acceptance of the creature blind old man justifies that the creature was surely abandoned by everyone because of his looks. Through this we can easily say that in spite of the creature suffering from the deformity or disability the real deformity in the minds of society is judging people on their outer looks instead of inner beauty. As it is said- ‘never judge a book by its cover.’ 

What deformity is is decided by the majority of the same type of people. For example if there is an area where the people are without nose and ears and if a person enters there with nose and ears then that person becomes a deformed one for the people of that area. In the case of the creature, the society found the creature to be deformed as it was giant in comparison to them and had a lot of scars on its face which the society didn't have.

Que.-4 Can appearance overpower reality?
Appearance vs Reality is one of the most common themes used in literature to this day and has been explored in many ways. Phaedrus once stated, “Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” Appearances can deceive people because humans are so prejudiced against people that do not look, talk, walk, or act like them. Appearances and reality are two very distinct things, with one being a blindfold to one’s judgment and the other being a wake up call. In Novel Victor, a scientist; The monster, Victor’s creation; and Justine Moritz, who is accused of murder; all appear to be something they are not. Victor, Justine, and the creature are all examples of the struggle between appearances and reality.

Victor is scientist and his ambition shows the love for life and creature we love the character but creature get alive he abandon him and we see his negative side reality comes to us, same happens with the creature in the novel, he is always judged on his looks and no one accepts him despite he was kind, innocent and humble everyone judged him to be wild and monstrous sur to his looks. Also the character of Justine, she is accused for the murder of the William as belonging of William was found with her bur the reality was something else. This is how the appearance deceived the reality of these characters. Talking in context to appearance overpowering reality is seen in the character of the creature. The reality of monster was kind, innocent and humble he was like a child but the discrimination of society and human towards him, abandon by his own creator saddened him, he was disturbed by the behavior of society only based on his looks. After getting beaten by the DeLacey family he got frustrated and decided to take revenge for making his appearance hideous from his creator. Till that creature realized that he is ugly so one one is accepting him and thinking of him being a monster. The creature thought- if they are thinking me to be a monster then now I'll be a monster. And in power of being the monster he takes the revenge from his creator as mentioned in answer 2. Here we see that yes, appearance can overpower reality. And the example from the novel is the creature.


Que.-5 Who is the real villain in Frankenstein?
At first glance, the monster in Frankenstein is a symbol of evil, whose only desire is to ruin lives. He has been called A creature that wreaks havoc by destroying innocent lives often without remorse. The Monster is Frankenstein’s antagonist. He prevents Frankenstein’s goal both by what he does and what he is. Frankenstein’s ambition is to achieve something great, but the Monster’s terrifying appearance forces Frankenstein to recognize that not only has he not achieved something great, he may have done something terrible. Once the Monster starts killing everyone Frankenstein loves, Frankenstein can’t help but acknowledge that his creation has the potential for evil. After being thwarted in his desire to create something good, Frankenstein’s ambition requires him to destroy the Monster, but again the Monster thwarts him. Another possible antagonist is Frankenstein himself. Frankenstein directly thwarts the Monster’s goal of human connection by refusing to sympathize with the Monster himself and refusing to create a companion for him. The Monster initially sees Frankenstein as a father figure, but Frankenstein denies him a familial relationship. But after the novel is looked at on different levels, one becomes aware that the creature wasn't responsible for his actions, and was just a victim of circumstance. The real villain of Frankenstein isn't the creature, but rather his creator, Victor. As a romantic novel Victor is responsible, because he abandoned his creation. As an archetype novel, Victor is the villain, because he was trying to play god .When Victor created the creature, he didn't take responsibility for it. He abandoned it, and left it to fend for itself. It is unfair to bring something into the world, and then not teach it how to survive. The creature was miserable, and just wanted a friend or someone to talk to. Here if we see Victor as an antagonist then we should not miss that Victor is representing the human society in the Novel especially after the creation of the creature.

After the creature got alive the main thought what Victor got was keeping the society in the center he didn’t see his own dream coming true but thought as a normal human that creature won't be accepted by the society. So here we can say that Victor is a villain ultimately the society is the real villain.


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