At the recent South by Southwest event, experts gathered at UT’s Hook ‘Em House to discuss the future of robotics in society. With the advancements in artificial intelligence and the rise of ChatGPT, the conversation around robots has evolved from the extremes of sci-fi movies to a more nuanced discussion.
Professor Peter Stone, from The University of Texas at Austin, highlighted the changing public perception towards robots and the potential for wider acceptance in the coming years. The panel also touched on the idea of individual choice when it comes to integrating robots into daily tasks, such as cooking or lawn maintenance.
Bill Smart, a professor at Oregon State University, raised important questions about the trade-offs between using robots for household chores and supporting local businesses. He also emphasized the need for careful consideration of data privacy and security when it comes to sharing personal information with robots.
Andrea Thomaz, CEO of Diligent Robotics, discussed the importance of designing homes to be robot-friendly and the challenges of adapting general-purpose robots for specific tasks in a household setting.
Overall, the experts agreed that robots are becoming more integrated into our daily lives and that finding the right balance between convenience and privacy will be crucial moving forward. With Texas Robotics leading the way in AI development, the future of robotics looks promising and full of possibilities.