Subscribe now

Feedback: Won't somebody please think of the robots?

22 April 2015

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

(Image: Paul McDevitt)

Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more

Please think of the robots!

GOOGLE has obtained a US patent for personalities in robots. Kate Darling, a robot ethicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology complains in IEEE Spectrum that such patents are not good for robotics research because they may restrict innovation by other companies. Feedback’s first thought is for the welfare of the robots. We recall the sufferings of Marvin the Paranoid Android, presented as a prototype of “genuine people personality” in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop