File photo: A visitor speaks to Baidu's robot Xiaodu at the 2015 Baidu World Conference in Beijing, China, September 8, 2015. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)
Fear of a robot uprising is ridiculous nonsense, at least for anyone alive today.
There may be some existing robots that can fake being thoughtful—an advanced ELIZA sort of thing. But you are kidding yourself if you think real robo-intelligence is going to happen anytime soon. Just because a smart speaker tube from Amazon can set a timer does not mean it is "thinking."
The real problem is robots taking jobs, especially in manufacturing, where repetitive activity is involved. It is not because robots want your job. Employers want them because they save money, especially when it comes to pensions.
Some robotic functions are developed for convenience, yes, but most are designed to replace human labor. When I was young, I worked on assembly lines. The pay was great, but we all thought machines would one day take over.
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