Artificial brains will create smarter robots, enhanced humans

By Dick Pelletier

     Spanish researchers at University of Granada have achieved a giant leap for robotkind by creating the first artificial cerebellum (the brain section that controls motor functions), with the goal of improving how robots interact with humans.

     Their creation will soon be installed in a robot designed by the German Aerospace Centre in a four-year project funded by the EU, which brings together physicists, neuroscientists and electronic engineers from leading European universities.

     Researchers are building microchips that incorporate a full neuronal system, emulating how the cerebellum interacts with the human nervous system. This, they say, will help robots become more human-like when working in the everyday world. They are also constructing an artificial skin to give robots a more sensitive touch.

     “Although robots are important to society, they cannot yet do most tasks carried out by humans,” says Granada researcher Eduardo Ros Vidal, “We have been talking about humanoids for years but we still don’t see them on the streets.”

     Many believe that this technology could also help researchers find cures for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other mind diseases. And NASA Professor Paul Wolpe adds, “This research might even one day lead to controlling electronics with just our thoughts.”

     The following describes how experts foresee robot advances: by 2015, they will perform a variety of household chores; by 2020, fill many of our jobs; and by 2030, become competent in most human activities. This trend will peak in mid-2030s when they begin to outthink us, which forward-thinkers believe could mark the beginning of human-machine intelligence transfers.

     Cybernetics expert Christof Koch predicts that scientists will one day create a brain-machine interface, which at first may only be used for research and neuroprosthetics, but its immense prospect for enhancing minds will quickly drive this technology forward making human-machine data transfers routine.

     Imagine a hard drive linked wirelessly to your mind, accessible on demand. An encyclopedia of information could be uploaded on a whim and photographic memory now becomes the norm. By adding computer memory and computational speed into your brain, you process data much faster than before. Now, when faced with making a decision, you run dozens of “what if” simulations in your mind in seconds, enabling you to always make the correct decision.

     Most people will welcome mind enhancements like this that promise a healthier, happier and certainly much more intelligent life; but others could find it too radical and will reject the technology.

     However, ignoring this future may not be the best option. If enhanced co-workers, friends, or competitors can search the Internet while carrying on a conversation; remember everything anyone said; or control machines with just their thoughts; your only choice may be to join them or search for a new job. The corporate world will definitely favor a neurotech-enhanced workforce in the future.

     Conservatives may find this “magical future” unsettling, as is bound to happen with new technologies. But while the contours of how this bold science may apply to society are foggy, the map for how we get there is clear. “The amazing thing is there’s nothing I can see as a roadblock to this,” says Koch, “it’s only a question of when, not if.”

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.