(The following was written without ChatGPT, etc.)
I took this photograph (the photograph used for this update) at my local grocery store. It’s a photo of a robot - a robot that apparently checks for inventory on the shopping floor. It isn’t a particularly intimidating robot. On its own, at any rate. (Although it did quite nearly bump into me.) For certain, one has to work double-hard to contrive a mental scenario in which this machine is a villain.
However, as of this moment, there’s no particular reason to suspect that this will be the ultimate manifestation of these sorts of machines. Indeed, it seems this machine doesn’t so much exist to be helpful to the customer - as much as it is to see if humans will interact with it in a civil way and treat it in a manner as generally respectful as they would an employee, or inventory item.
But this machine - and its more impressive subsequent generations - are not typical private property.
These machines are commonplace throughout many Asian countries. It’s the first one I’ve seen in my area - although I imagine they’ve been out and about in the US for some time.
It’s clear, though, that we’re now slowly descending into a totally new world. I believe it is a vision-less world - and one that must be resisted at nearly all costs.
Sincerely,
Michael-