New Age Luddites forewarn us about the robot revolution that is upon us. In the article, “Welcome, Robot Overlords. Please Don’t Fire Us?”, Kevin Drum educates us about the significant advance of technology as time progresses. Drum’s metaphor about using drops of water at a time to fill Lake Michigan, demonstrates the evolution of robots emerging slowly and even though it may not be foreseeable, its around the corner and before we know it, leaving us with the question: “What do we do over the next few decades as robots becomes steadily more capable and steadily beginning taking away all our jobs?”
A Robot Revolution sounds so 2050, but what people do not realize is that we already rely on technology too much. The more we rely on technology, like using a GPS for instance; the less we are to use a Map. But if your deep into the woods and your GPS loses signal and you do not know how to locate your coordinates on a Map, what use is it? The MIT professor made a good point: “The idea of some kind of artificial companionship is already becoming the new norm”. It is so normal for use of technology to make our lives easier. The more we use it, the more it will urge scientists to create something bigger and badder eventually having the ability to do almost anything we can. Jobs will be limited to machines owned by wealthy and powerful people that are only going to turn their millions into something that will create something more intelligent, while the less fortunate people will have to turn to professional occupations such as Lawyers where robots cannot provide legal advice. I agree with Drum in that technology will eventually take over. A recent personal experience reminded me of this article and confirmed Drum’s theories. I recently dropped my iPhone and damaged the screen. I could tap on some areas of the screen but some parts were not receptive to my finger tips. I then thought to hold the center button down and speak to Siri. I can’t unlock my phone, but I can command Siri to send a text with whatever I want said and even make calls. This is a far advance from when I was a child. There was texting but it wasn’t favored. But slowly, as people saw it as a more convenient way to communicate, giving the ability to respond whenever you please, it became popular and now everyone does it and more and more you see new devices being produced that can enhance or make that task easier.
The illustrations by Roberto Parada reveal a lot about the article and get the point across that the Robot Revolution is quickly moving in. The artist illustrates a tireless robot ready take on a day of work; there only to complete a task. No coffee to start his day. There is nothing that needs to motivate him. Meanwhile co-workers look away intimidated by it’s stamina as he places his hand off to the side with his cell phone as to not make it known to the robot that he is some way relies on technology. Page 2 of Drum’s article another illustration shows a man at a urinal looking at the audience disgusted to see that this robot is so intelligent and advanced he appears no different than himself relieving itself at the stall. A task not even necessary to do something productive but just to show that they’re moving in and they can pull off anything we can, better. I think the title is interesting as well. We are “welcoming” artificial intelligence/technology as it has been kind enough to help us but with the uncertainty of its power as we pray for it not to take us over.
I think you have a good summary of the article in hand. We both have different views on the subject so it is interesting to read it from someone who agrees with drums point of view. On the iphone note, get a galaxy its far more reliable and the screen is extremely durable and better made.
Your opening paragraph was only two sentences from what i see, and the second one is a run-on (from my experience). I also only see you summarize the authors views, i do not understand what you are trying to portray from this essay in it. It kind of makes me feel like im guessing what the essay is about until i read it through. Maybe split up the run-on and add in your purpose for this essays, whether to debate or summarize or any of the other options allowed for the subject.
Your second paragraph has a good structure, but again youre just summarizing the article. A robot could actually give legal advice since they have the ability to absorb information and calculate an answer through thousands and thousands of gigs of law information which can be accessed in a fraction of a second with 100% accurate answers. A robot judge, in my opinion is more likely to give an accurate punishment based on the facts at hand or to decide more accurately if it was true or false, and can do so through lie detecting technology built into its “face”. The only issue is, a robot judge will not feel the emotion in the court room and may hand out harsher punishments instead of offering a chance for that person to fix their life on their own due to by the book it is the law and that’s all they know.
Third paragraph should maybe be your second? it allows me to understand your point of view on the subject, and finally lets me see what the whole essay is coming at.
Your final paragraph is kind of worded awkwardly. More specifically, “The artist illustrates a tireless robot ready take on a day of work; there only to complete a task. No coffee to start his day. There is nothing that needs to motivate him. ” I understand what you are portraying, but I feel like the wording makes it awkward to read, also “No coffee to start his day.” seems like a fragment, and how do we know robots are a he or a she?
Overall i think it is a good essay, it just needs restructure. I understand what your view is by the end, but am guessing when i first start reading it. I believe your understanding of what the author wrote about is strong, and you have some good opinions on the subject. (So don’t I, but we’re human we cant always agree on everything).
Don’t be to harsh on my review, I probably have some bad structure and grammar mistakes! i have been working none stop the last couple of weeks only to have a military weekend next weekend! on top of all my overtime! Sorry this took so long this is the first day in over a week ive had the opportunity to do homework!
Matt Darling
Your writing here is pretty clear, and you give a good overall summary in para 1 as well as some responses in paras. 2 to 4. The examination of illustration in para 4 is interesting, I think, and an angle no one else took.
This seems quite a big heavier on response than summary though. By para. 2 you’re already on to response–I’d suggest your summary include more details about why robotics has been so (seemingly) slow to develop and also more of Drum’s projections of how robots will influence both the job market and people’s lives and what society’s response could/should be.
A few more minor points:
–Assignment suggests starting with a short intro to orient the reader to subject matter, rather than jumping right into the article summary. You do that a bit with first sentence–I’d expand that, and save the mention of article for beginning of para. 2.
–I had the same response Matt did to your claim that lawyers couldn’t provide legal advice. (He’s wrong about run-on sentence in para. 1 though btw.)