Anthropomorphism and AI; Have We Built The Robots Too Much Like Us?

When we talk about AI, we think a purely rational and reasoned approach to a problem (think Spock) but some machines seem to exhibit distinct personalities. More than one ‘bot has blithely navigated the lined travel avenue only to panic at the first obstruction, turn tail, and run back from whence it came. The leading team’s unit swept past barrel after barrel with aplomb only to loose its composure on a bridge as if it were afraid of heights. And some entries look at the barrels as a chance to go bowling and charge through with reckless and fun-filled abandon. S&T’s youthful “triMAXion” is no exception as it rocked a barrel with a good (?) solid hit.

When clouds block the sun, the quick changes in ground contrast seem to confuse some machines. And somewhat lower on the food chain are the machines that think it is Groundhog Day; they see their own shadow and run back into their burrows.