Machines are starting to look and act more like humans. Is that a good thing?
Pre-reading strategies:
Unlock your prior knowledge! What shows have you watched with robots? What movies? What do you know about them from jobs you've seen them do or what you've heard in the news?
Everything we can bring to the table when we read will help us understand and interact with the text in a more meaningful way. After all, reading is all about making meaning!
Vocabulary:
Impact: a powerful effect
Contributes: supplies something
Efficiently: doing something well without wasting materials, time, or energy
Developing: creating something over a period of time
Engineers: people who design and build complicated products, machines, and structures
Robots aren’t often seen outside the movies. But they have a huge impact on your life. They build the buses you ride to school in. They help pack the clothes you order online. They might even milk the cow that contributes to your breakfast in the morning.
Now, scientists are working on a new generation of robots. These robots won’t just work in factories or warehouses. They’ll serve you drinks or greet you in a store. They may even teach classes in school or examine you when you’re sick. And they will look, move, and even think like you. Well, sort of.
Pause and think: How do robots affect your everyday life?
Factory Workers
Most robots working today aren’t the walking, talking robots you see in science fiction movies. They’re simply machines that perform tasks without human help. Usually they are controlled by a computer. Most of them are used to efficiently carry out simple jobs. They repeat the same task over and over. And they work behind the scenes.
The first robot ever to work in a factory is a good example. It was a 2,700-pound metal arm called Unimate. This giant arm helped build cars at General Motors in the 1960s. It picked up hot metal parts and joined them together.
Since then, robots have taken over millions of jobs from humans. Farming robots pull up weeds around lettuce plants. A robotic arm called Flippy cooks fast-food burgers. And the truck-like SAM100 helps build walls by laying almost 400 bricks an hour.
Pause and think: What are robots? How are they most often used?
Walking, Talking Robot
Robots like Flippy and Unimate have useful skills. But the next generation of robots will make them look simple.
In labs around the world, scientists are developing robots with artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is the ability to learn and think like humans do. Some machines can recognize our speech and talk back. Other robots can see by using lasers and cameras.
Robots that can see or hear are already doing more complicated tasks. They deliver medicine in hospitals. They measure how well farmers’ crops are growing. And if you shop at a Schnucks grocery store in St. Louis, Missouri, watch out for Tally. This 6-foot-tall robot roams aisles and counts items on the shelves.
Pause and think: What is artificial intelligence?
Robot or Human?
Machines aren’t just acting more like us. They’re also looking more and more human. That’s because some scientists believe people are more likely to trust robots that look like them. One British company is making humanlike robots that almost look real. Engineers use tiny motors to control smiles and winks. They make plastic skin with wrinkles and hair.
Humanlike robots aren’t exactly walking the streets yet. But you’ll probably see many of them in your lifetime. THey already help visitors check in at hotels in Japan. In the future, they may even help care for sick people.
Pause and think: Why are some scientists making humanlike robots?
Big Questions
To many people, the rise of the robots is scary. If we’re sick, can we really get comfort from a machine? Will robots start to replace human contact in our lives?
And the biggest question: Will robots put humans out of work? Millions of factory jobs have already been lost to machines.
But some experts believe you probably won’t lose your job to a robot. They say you’ll just be working alongside one. The question is, will you know for sure?
Pause and think: Why might you not know you’re working next to a robot?
Five Questions about Rise of the Robots
Pre-reading strategies:
Unlock your prior knowledge! What shows have you watched with robots? What movies? What do you know about them from jobs you've seen them do or what you've heard in the news?
Everything we can bring to the table when we read will help us understand and interact with the text in a more meaningful way. After all, reading is all about making meaning!
Vocabulary:
Impact: a powerful effect
Contributes: supplies something
Efficiently: doing something well without wasting materials, time, or energy
Developing: creating something over a period of time
Engineers: people who design and build complicated products, machines, and structures
Robots aren’t often seen outside the movies. But they have a huge impact on your life. They build the buses you ride to school in. They help pack the clothes you order online. They might even milk the cow that contributes to your breakfast in the morning.
Now, scientists are working on a new generation of robots. These robots won’t just work in factories or warehouses. They’ll serve you drinks or greet you in a store. They may even teach classes in school or examine you when you’re sick. And they will look, move, and even think like you. Well, sort of.
Pause and think: How do robots affect your everyday life?
Factory Workers
Most robots working today aren’t the walking, talking robots you see in science fiction movies. They’re simply machines that perform tasks without human help. Usually they are controlled by a computer. Most of them are used to efficiently carry out simple jobs. They repeat the same task over and over. And they work behind the scenes.
The first robot ever to work in a factory is a good example. It was a 2,700-pound metal arm called Unimate. This giant arm helped build cars at General Motors in the 1960s. It picked up hot metal parts and joined them together.
Since then, robots have taken over millions of jobs from humans. Farming robots pull up weeds around lettuce plants. A robotic arm called Flippy cooks fast-food burgers. And the truck-like SAM100 helps build walls by laying almost 400 bricks an hour.
Pause and think: What are robots? How are they most often used?
Walking, Talking Robot
Robots like Flippy and Unimate have useful skills. But the next generation of robots will make them look simple.
In labs around the world, scientists are developing robots with artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is the ability to learn and think like humans do. Some machines can recognize our speech and talk back. Other robots can see by using lasers and cameras.
Robots that can see or hear are already doing more complicated tasks. They deliver medicine in hospitals. They measure how well farmers’ crops are growing. And if you shop at a Schnucks grocery store in St. Louis, Missouri, watch out for Tally. This 6-foot-tall robot roams aisles and counts items on the shelves.
Pause and think: What is artificial intelligence?
Robot or Human?
Machines aren’t just acting more like us. They’re also looking more and more human. That’s because some scientists believe people are more likely to trust robots that look like them. One British company is making humanlike robots that almost look real. Engineers use tiny motors to control smiles and winks. They make plastic skin with wrinkles and hair.
Humanlike robots aren’t exactly walking the streets yet. But you’ll probably see many of them in your lifetime. THey already help visitors check in at hotels in Japan. In the future, they may even help care for sick people.
Pause and think: Why are some scientists making humanlike robots?
Big Questions
To many people, the rise of the robots is scary. If we’re sick, can we really get comfort from a machine? Will robots start to replace human contact in our lives?
And the biggest question: Will robots put humans out of work? Millions of factory jobs have already been lost to machines.
But some experts believe you probably won’t lose your job to a robot. They say you’ll just be working alongside one. The question is, will you know for sure?
Pause and think: Why might you not know you’re working next to a robot?
Five Questions about Rise of the Robots
- When did robots start working in factories?
- What are three jobs that robots already do?
- How do engineers make robots look like humans?
- Where do humanlike robots help visitors check into hotels?
- Why are some people worried about robots?