Boundaries: The Limits Of Robot Helpers

We are in the 21st century where technology has taken over nearly all aspects of human existence. If not all, at least more than 70% of our lives revolve around technology and its innovations. Gone are those days when the early men carried out tasks using crude tools that could take hours. To blend peppers, the early men probably made use of stones or whatever crude tool they could find. However, in today’s world, things have become way easier, allowing humans to complete simple tasks such as blending peppers or fruits within minutes, all it takes is to turn on a blender. Similarly, in the time of our forefathers, they communicated using smoke signals, trained pigeons, and letters that could take forever. Smoke signals wouldn’t be able to send the messages effectively, pigeons might not deliver the messages and letters could take months. But today, we can send messages to our loved ones from the comfort of our homes, thanks to social media platforms.

There’s no doubt that technology has helped improve our lives and made it better. Better and more convenient. Every day, innovators keep inventing different things that keep making our life easier. This is where robots come in. Growing up, I used to watch a lot of robot movies. I remember watching an Indian movie about robots—Enthiran. The scientist invented the robot to help him with tasks—which made his life easier. But along the line, the robot got hacked (sort of) and developed a mind of its own. This brings me to today’s Hive Learners’ prompt about robots. The community asks us if it would be a good idea to own a robot that could do every chore perfectly in the house. The robot would help clean, wash, and take care of kids. Before I continue, you see the last part—“take care of kids,” scratch it out.

There is no doubt that having a robot who could clean the house, do the dishes, and every other basic task will help make life easier, especially for those with busy schedules. Imagine a couple living together, both working professionals who leave the house every morning and come back late in the evening. Having a robot to help them clean the house would make their life easier, right? After a long day, they would not have to come back home and start cleaning the house, doing laundry or washing dishes. Perhaps in the next decade, humanity will develop human-like robots that would do these tasks efficiently, but there should be where to draw the line.

There actually is a robot that helps clean the house. I came across a reel on Instagram of a tiny robot that goes around the house, sucking up dust and cleaning all corners. I guess having those kinds of robots at home is not so bad, but what I cannot put my mind to consider is having a robot watch over my kids. I will definitely reject the idea of having a robot take care of my kids, no matter how many scientists or inventors confirm its effectiveness and efficiency. First off, robots are not human beings and anything can happen. What if it twitches? What if it gets hacked? I mentioned above that I watched an Indian movie long ago where the robot went haywire. My memories are a little hazy and I don’t really remember the details, but what I remember is that the robot started causing damage, even to the owner. Now imagine putting this kind of robot in charge of your kids?

What’s more important is that I have many times envisioned the kind of relationship I would love to have with my children, and having a robot take care of them kind of disrupts the whole thing. I have noticed that most kids find their dads unapproachable. Maybe because the dad is always busy or maybe because he is trying to be a “man-“ you know the kind of dads who don’t show affection to their kids because it is not “manly.” Definitely, that is not the kind of relationship I would want with them. I envision a relationship where I would be there for my kids—know their needs, wants, tell them bedtime stories and establish a good bond with them. Aside from the fact that robots could go haywire, it wouldn’t help me establish a good bond with my kids.

If robots ever become widely used for household tasks, I wouldn't want a robot to prepare meals for me and my family either. I envision cooking with my wife and kids when they're old enough – it's a tradition that strengthens family bonds. I like to consider myself a traditional man in some aspects. On the other hand, having a robot do the laundry and clean the house doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Thumbnail generated using MetaAi.

Thanks for reading.