Kate Darling on the Future of Robotics and AI Ethics
Oct 24, 2023
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Dr. Kate Darling, heading AI and ethics research group at Boston Dynamics, discusses AI, humanoid robots, and her kids' love for the Marty Robot at the local supermarket. The podcast recaps RoboBusiness 2023 event and Amazon's testing of Digit humanoid. Excitement surrounds the possibilities of automation in transportation and urban infrastructure. The challenges of creating humanoid robots and the importance of societal adaptation to effectively utilize robots are explored.
Dr. Kate Darling has been hired as the research lead for ethics and society at the AI Institute to explore the intersection of robotics and society, focusing on topics like robots in the workplace and the impact of automated technologies on political and economic systems.
The AI Institute provides a unique environment for research, allowing freedom and academic freedom without the usual constraints of industry or academia, empowering longer-term projects and exploration of cutting-edge challenges in robotics.
Kate Darling's collaboration with Mark Raibert and the AI Institute enables in-depth research into human-robot interaction, studying people's emotional connection with robots and societal perceptions, ultimately aiming to anticipate challenges as robotics technology becomes more integrated into society.
The podcast episode highlights the need to consider human robot interaction, perception, and design to create successful shared spaces, and emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure responsible robot development, considering societal adaptation and systems beyond technological advancements.
Deep dives
Heading up the Ethics Research at the AI Institute
Kate Darling has been hired as the research lead for ethics and society at the AI Institute to head up the study and research on ethics. Her role is to build a research team of social scientists who will explore the intersection of robotics and society. The focus is on addressing future challenges and opportunities in robotics technology and its impact on society. The team will delve into topics like robots in the workplace, urban infrastructure, and the political and economic systems affected by automated technologies.
The Unique Opportunity at the AI Institute
The AI Institute provides a unique environment for research, allowing freedom and academic freedom without the usual constraints of industry or academia. The Institute's freedom allows for longer-term projects and exploration of cutting-edge challenges. The interdisciplinary nature of the Institute provides opportunities to work on topics that are forward-thinking and anticipate how technology will change society. The overall goal is to benefit everyone and ensure the responsible development and integration of robotic technology.
Experience and Collaboration with Mark Raibert
Kate Darling has known Mark Raibert, head of the AI Institute, for several years and shares a love for robots. They have had conversations about human reactions to robots and the perceived life-like qualities of robotic machines. Kate has made a name for herself in researching the emotional connection between humans and robots, observing people's reactions and treating robots as living things. The collaboration with Mark and the AI Institute allows for in-depth research into human-robot interaction and exploration of the social perceptions and challenges tied to robotics.
Exploring Future Challenges in Robotics
Kate Darling is excited about the opportunity to explore the social and ethical impacts of robotics technology. She is fascinated by people's perception of robots and the way they treat robots as living beings. By studying these reactions and perceptions, the goal is to anticipate challenges as robotics technology becomes more integrated into society. Topics of interest include how robots in the workplace affect human workers, the changing urban landscape due to robotic integration, and the influence of automated technologies on existing power structures and economic systems.
Challenges of Robot and Human Interaction
The podcast episode discusses the negative public perception of a robot named Marty at a grocery store. The speaker mentions conducting a survey to understand people's impressions of the robot and found a high number of participants who believed it was there for surveillance purposes. The speaker highlights the importance of considering human robot interaction and the design and perception of robots to create successful shared spaces. They also acknowledge the need for more studies and collaboration to navigate this challenge.
The Role of Humanoid Robots
The conversation touches on the development of humanoid robots and the challenges they face. The speaker expresses skepticism about the focus on creating human-like robots, stating that other forms can be more beneficial and creative. They mention the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between social scientists and engineers to ensure a responsible approach to robot development. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of considering societal adaptation and systems beyond just technological advancements.
The Impact of Large Language Models and AI Ethics
The discussion addresses large language models and their potential impact on robotics. The speaker acknowledges the power of these models in communication and highlights the challenge of managing expectations and possible misconceptions around robot capabilities. They explore the need for an ethical approach to testing and development, with a focus on public perception and responsible decision-making by companies. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and understanding between social scientists and engineers to navigate the evolving landscape of human-machine communication.
In this episode, we recap the recent RoboBusiness 2023 event and the recent news of Agility Robotics humanoid testing at Amazon.
Our featured interview on this episode is with Dr. Kate Darling, who is joining Marc Raibert in her dream job at the Boston Dynamics AI Institute to head up their AI and ethics research group.
We talk to Kate about everything from AI and humanoid robots to her kids' love affair with the Marty Robot at the local Stop and Shop supermarket.
Note: This is a long episode, but there was so much to talk about with Kate, that we didn't want to cut anything out.
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