Cook, Robot.

After having watched I, Robot with Will Smith and co, I classed the film under science fiction - something that wouldn't happen in a million years, or at least not anytime soon.

But after watching some Chinese cookery programme with my parentals, I found out that in China, they have developed some kind of robot that can cook 50 dishes, and can have a 3 course meal ready in half an hour. It was even featured on TV! But is this kind of technological advancement really a) necessary and b) beneficial?

So the immediate benefits I can see is that if you can't be bothered to cook, then have your pet robot do it for you, and probably even clean up the dishes. If you could have robots to do all the menial jobs such as cleaning and cooking, it might even sort out the alledged immigration "problem."

But are we at the beginning of some increadibly slippery slope? What if these robots, in the not-too-distant future could be made to replace skilled workers in professions such as medicine, mathematics, physiotherapy, banking, law and even adult services? This might not seem to be a problem at first - after all, labour can probably be re-directed and people could just sit at home all day and make money by using robots to do their work. But what about accountability?

If something goes wrong, e.g. you're at the physio and the physiotherapist massages your back a bit too roughly and it hurts. The following things happen:

1. Speak to the physiotherapist and explain the problem
   
2. Physiotherapist acknowledges the problem
3. Physiotherapist appologises and learns from their mistake

Alternatively:

1. Lodge a complaint
2. Practice manager acknowledges complaint
3. Practice manager reprimands physiotherapist

Basically, it is clear who is accountable, because humans, unlike machines, are capable of thinking.

Suppose we are in a world where robots have most of the jobs. In the same situation, a sequence of events might look like this:

• Patient speaks to robot physiotherapist, but robot cannot respond helpfully as it has only been programmed to give massages.
• Patient sues, but robot lawyers, a robot judge and a jury of robots cannot find who is accoutable.
• Patient cries and is left to deal with the problem.

Ok, the example is a little extreme, especially if there are measured to prevent a world as pictured in I, Robot. Indeed, accountability is only a problem if a great deal of jobs are taken by robots who cannot be controlled, in which case, introduction of robots into the market as household slaves could be a good idea. I, for one, could definately use a robot to ensure that chocolate brownies emerge from my oven instead of a hard slab of combusted flour.

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