Snorers vs. Robots
When the world's first hotel completely operated by robots - specifically Human Robotics - opened in Nagasaki, Japan in 2015, the technology world celebrated it as a breakthrough. Guests were greeted and checked in by funny-looking dolls at the reception. All other services at the Henn Na Hotel were also provided by robots.
The guests were curious and amused. As long as they had clear pronunciation and didn't snore, they were quite satisfied. However, those who mumbled heard the familiar phrase from ALEXA users, "I didn't understand that," which could sometimes drag on until an agreement was reached. But even more frustrating were the guests who snored loudly in their sleep. The robots interpreted the noise as an unintelligible order and would regularly stand by the startled guest's bed in the middle of the night, asking them what they wanted.
As can be seen from these small examples, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence still face limits that are actually quite trivial. The hotel in Nagasaki, for instance, reduced the number of Human Robotics at the beginning of this year due to ongoing problems and for the first time hired real people to take care of the guests.
One might smile and say, "Well, it's not as bad as it's made out to be." In my opinion, that would be dangerous, as these experiences, considered setbacks by some, are part of the learning process for technology companies. It does not mean the failure of an idea, but in the words of Thomas Edison, just the one thousandth way of how it doesn't work. China's internet giant Alibaba has opened the first Alibaba Hotel, where facial recognition is used for check-in and robots are experimented with in the restaurant.
Cars are becoming intelligent
BMW, AUDI, VW, FORD, and other manufacturers will integrate ALEXA into their vehicles in the future, so that the car and Personal Assistant merge more and more. If in the future, on your way home from work, with ALEXA's help you order a pizza, the lady will quickly check the best options along the route, link them with preparation and travel time, as well as restaurant ratings, and place the order. But wait, what about the good old pizzeria run by Salvatore and his seven siblings, who make the best pizza in town in a stone oven but simply don't have time for all this technology stuff: they do not exist in the ALEXA world and are consequently ignored...
(AUDI presents the integration with ALEXA technology at CES 2019) Audi USA
Back to Japan: recently, Japanese people under 30 were asked if they could imagine living with a Human Robotic as a partner: a proud 44% of the population answered "YES." For us Europeans, surely a strange idea, but it only proves that technology is making rapid progress here too. In a few years, these robots will hardly be distinguishable from humans. I bet that this will be a topic in 2025.
®Evolution in the Workplace
Artificial Intelligence is already beginning to revolutionize our work environment today. The computer is smarter, faster, not tired on Mondays, and is not a member of any union. It can increasingly perform simple tasks. However, in addition to the effect that this will eventually lead to job losses, we must consider a much more important secondary effect that has not been discussed so far: this robot does not contribute to health or pension insurance, does not buy clothes, food, and simply does not consume. This creates double damage.
