The Social Robot Paradox

For centuries, the idea of the robot (or automota as it was generally known) has always been intriguing. The possibility of bringing an artificial device created by man to “life” continues to drive the imagination, from films and novels, to engineering and scientific laboratories. Core to the original coining of the term “robot” (from Karl Capek’s 1923 play “Rossum’s Universal Robots”) is a strong association with the human form, its appearance, its functionality, and even its failings. Although the term robot now includes the cold functionality of a car assembly machine, the intrigue as to whether man has the capacity to create artificial life remains.