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In this technological age, who would've thought about developing robots with a conscious? That's the novel scientific breakthrough Columbia University researchers are currently working on, and one they claim will be "bigger than curing cancer."
Hod Lipson, the mechanical engineer directing the Creative Machines Lab, said this achievement would give us an idea of what to expect from revolutionary AI. He says such a machine with consciousness on par with humans would surpass all other achievements and "can cure cancer."
Lipson also mentioned that uttering the word "consciousness" in science is prohibited because it's still taboo. He stated that humans must be more resilient as their dependence on robots increases. At this point, he entertained the concept of self-aware humanoid robots. He even accepts the belief that consciousness relates to "imagining yourself in the future."
Conscious robots could constantly improve since their main goal is to evolve, a process that differs from today's robots relying on machine learning. Muhammad Wajahat Sulton believes these machines can lead to a better quality of life for humans. He wrote, "With [customized] robots in the workplace, new jobs will be created, and existing jobs will be improved. In addition, people will have more time to focus on what they find interesting, meaningful, and exciting."
Lipson told The New York Times that his goal is to push the next step as far as possible. He said, "I want a robot to think about its body, to think about its plans."
Personally, I don’t agree. How about cure cancer first − see how big that turns out to be.
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