DOSSIER Robots: 3 for better… or for worse You run a business. You are a journalist for a Debate the introduction science magazine. Write an Projects of robots in your article on the impact of the company. introduction of robots. Rise of the robots 2 A Elektro & Steam man 1 In 1868, American author Edward S. Ellis wrote about a prodigy that constructed an automaton called the Steam Man, the first American robot. “It was about ten feet in height, measuring to the top of the ‘stove-pipe hat,’ which was fashioned after the common order of felt coverings, with a broad brim, all painted a shiny black. The face was made of iron, 5 painted a black color, with a pair of fearful eyes, and a tremendous grinning mouth. A whistle-like con- trivance1 was made to answer for the nose. The steam chest proper and boiler were where the chest in a human being is generally supposed to be, extend- 10 ing also into a large knapsack2 arrangement over the shoulders and back. A pair of arms, like projections, held the shafts3 and the broad flat feet were covered with sharp spikes4, as though he were the monarch time, the bolt uprightness5 in the figure showed dif- of baseball players. The legs were quite long, and fered from a human being. 15 the step was natural, except when running, at which “In the knapsack were the valves, by which the steam or water was examined. In front was a painted imita- 1 Look at the illustration. Describe Elektro and list 20 tion of a vest, in which a door opened to receive the what he can do. fuel, which, together with the water, was carried in 2 Read the text. List what makes Steam Man look the wagon, a pipe running along the shaft and con- human and explain how he is powered. Draw your necting with the boiler. version of this robot. https://www.syfy.com 3 Connect. Use both documents to comment on the 1. device 2. backpack 3. metal or wooden pieces attaching way men imagined the first robots. a horse to a vehicle 4. pointed objects 5. rigid straightness Thématique : Savoirs, création, innovation On the origins of robots B 1 Watch the video and comment on the images of the montage and what they mean about the evolution of robots. 2 List the different stages of this evolution and give examples of robots. Explain how people view them. 3 Read Let’s focus on… p. 42 and present the Turing test. 4 Phonology Listen and repeat the following words: elaborate, navigate. Which syllable carries the main stress? 5 Imagine and ask each other four new History of robots e-worksheet questions for the Turing test. Video https://youtu.be/2GxbXcPGhDg hatier-clic.fr/21amc1t-ns04 C Teaching robots right from wrong ou’re rushing across the school parking lot Such research should help robots of the future figure to get to your first class on time when you out the best action to take when there are competing notice a friend is in trouble. She’s texting and choices. This ethical behavior may just become part of Ylistening to music on her headphones. Unawares1, 25 their programming. That will allow them to interact 5 she’s also heading straight for a gaping hole in the with people in safe, predictable ways. In time, robots sidewalk. What do you do? […] may actually begin to understand the difference be- To figure out the best solution, such a decision balanc- tween right and wrong. […] es the effects of your choice. It’s an easy decision. You The most famous set of rules for robots comes not don’t even have to think hard about it. You make such 30 from research but from a science fiction story by Isaac 10 choices all the time. But what about robots? Can they Asimov. “Runaround,” published in 1942, features make such choices? Should a robot stop your friend two men and Robot SPD-13, nicknamed “Speedy.” from falling into the hole? Could it? They’re sent to the planet Mercury in the year 2015. Not today’s robots. They simply aren’t smart enough Speedy is programmed with three basic rules: to even realize when someone is in danger. Soon, they 35 1) A robot can’t hurt a person or, through inaction, 15 might be. Yet without some rules to follow, a robot allow a person to get hurt. wouldn’t know the best choice to make. 2) A robot must obey people, as long as this doesn’t So robot developers are turning to philosophy. Called break the first law. ethics, it’s a field in which people study differences be- 3) A robot must protect itself, as long as this doesn’t tween right and wrong. And with it, they are starting 40 break the first two laws. 20 to develop robots that can make basic ethical deci- In later robot stories, Asimov added a “zeroth” law: sions. […] A robot can’t harm2 humanity or, through inaction, allow harm to humanity. 1 Mime or draw what is happening in the first Asimov’s rules sound good. But the story shows that paragraph. 45 such simple rules may not be enough. […] 2 Rephrase Asimov’s three laws of robotics and say if These rules would certainly compel3 a robot to res- they are ethical or not. cue your friend. But they wouldn’t help a robot decide 3 Explain if today’s robots are capable of making what to do if two people were about to fall and it could ethical choices. only save one. The robot also wouldn’t try to rescue a 4 Grammar Observe the following sentence: 50 kitten. Asimov’s rules sound good. But the story shows that such simple rules may not be enough. It’s very difficult to write a set of rules that will apply Pick out the modal auxiliary. Rephrase the sentence in all possible situations. For this reason, some sci- by using one of the following adverbs: probably – entists instead build robots with the ability to learn certainly – perhaps. ethical behavior. 5 You are part of the ethics committee of a large Kathryn Hulick, Science News For Students, robotics industry. Write five rules for today’s April 20th, 2017 robots. 1. not knowing 2. damage 3. force Dossier 3 - Axe : Sciences et techniques, promesses et défis I’ll be back 1 A Evolution or revolution? PAIR WORK 1 Describe your document and comment on the layout, the colours, the characters. Highlight the evolution of the place of robots in our lives. 2 Share your findings with your partner and explain the message of your artist. 2 B “I’m sorry, Dave…” 1 Present the two characters in this extract. 2 Comment on the setting (colours, shapes, places) and the intonation of both voices. Describe the atmosphere they create. 3 Account for the superiority of one of the characters and explain the end of the scene. 4 Record Dave’s message to his base where he explains 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) the situation and warns them about what robots plan Video https://youtu.be/ARJ8cAGm6JE to do on earth. Thématique : Savoirs, création, innovation C The rise of robots ince the oldest times people have sought1 for Matrix, and Ex Machina are only some of the ways to save them from hard physical work 50 movies that showed how things can go wrong if and menial2 activities. To find solutions they robots gain intelligence. From the earliest depic- Shave invented new tools, domesticated animals, tions4 of robots in science fiction the message was 5 and created new machines. As new technological the same, robots have a single purpose to domi- innovations were created, people quickly adopted nate the world. […] them and assimilated them into their lives. While many of them understood that technology brings 55 People are afraid that robots will take them new opportunities to improve their living their jobs away 10 standards and to grow their wealth, many others More and more people feel this immediate fear. For have started to fear what would happen once the example, in the automotive industry, robots are robots will reach a certain level of intelligence. used to assemble cars, but it doesn’t mean that no […] 60 human is working on the premises5. Humans have other tasks to accomplish, they no longer complete People don’t like interacting with robots the jobs that would pose danger to their life, they 15 Do you know what the Turing test implies? In are supervising the robots making sure they are 1950, Alan Turing established the benchmark for 100% efficient. AI may threaten some jobs, but it AI, if people are interacting with robots in con- 65 leads to the growth and rise of others. […] versation, and they cannot distinguish them from 6 persons, they have to admit that the machines are People are afraid of the Uncanny Valley 20 capable of true intelligence. It looks like human-like robots are the ones that No one could doubt people were dealing with ma- generate the greatest fear among people. The per- chines when they had the first interactions, but in ception gained the name Uncanny Valley and it the present times when people can talk to their 70 describes the situation when people feel uncom- mobile phones via programs like Siri, they are no fortable with the human-like traits of robots. They 25 longer sure if they can distinguish them from per- are not experiencing fear of robots, but fear of the sons.