What could go wrong? IBM sending real-life HAL robot to International Space Station

A round, basketball-shaped autonomous assistant that is supposed to help astronauts with their space work. Sounds a lot like HAL-9000 from "2001: A Space Odyssey," right?

CIMON (Crew Interactive Mobile Companion) won't say, "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that," but the first-ever flying, autonomous, artificial intelligence-based robot is slated to head to the International Space Station (ISS) later this week. With any luck, CIMON will stay there for the foreseeable future. ..."

"What we're trying to do with Watson AI services is imitate a human," Biniok said, adding that CIMON has a digital "mouth" and can express emotions. "CIMON has Watson's brain and understands what the astronaut is saying. It knows how to answer and what features to show. One of the reasons why Airbus selected IBM was we can go into great depths and go into deep conversations, using Watson." ..."

CIMON will move autonomously throughout the ISS, able to follow astronauts at their beck and call. The only task Gerst will have to perform is swapping out Cimon's battery and turn it on. CIMON's battery lasts for two hours and is charged via another system that's already on the ISS, making it simple to use.

Biniok added that the AI being used in CIMON is already being used on Earth, in approximately 20 industries, including healthcare, where it's used to support doctors, nurses and patients. It incorporates a number of Watson-based technologies, including Watson Assistant, Watson Speech-to-Text, Watson Text-to-Speech and Watson Visual Recognition.

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD?:

“Was CIMON quietly beta tested as the “brain” for the Hillabot, deployed in place of the incapacitated Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at multiple campaign appearances leading up to the 2016 election?”

“What we’re trying to do with Watson AI services is imitate a human,” IBM’s Matthias Biniok told Fox News. The autonomous, artificial intelligence-based CIMON robot is slated to head to the International Space Station (ISS) later this week.

“There is no plan that CIMON is coming back,” Biniok said.

(Everyone appears to be unconscious as Kirk runs in alone.)
KIRK: Nomad? Stop what you’re doing and effect repairs on the life-support systems.
NOMAD: Stop.
KIRK: You’re programmed to obey the orders of your creator.
NOMAD: I am programmed to destroy those life-forms which are imperfect. These alterations will do so without destroying the vessel which surrounds them. It, too, is imperfect, but can be adjusted.
KIRK: Nomad, I admit that biological units are imperfect, but a biological unit created you.
NOMAD: I am perfect. I am Nomad.
KIRK: No, you’re not Nomad. You’re an alien machine. Your programming tapes have been altered.
NOMAD: You are in error. You are a biological unit. You are imperfect.
KIRK: But I am your creator.
NOMAD: You are the Creator.
KIRK: I created you?
NOMAD: You are the Creator.
KIRK: But I admit I’m imperfect. How could I have created such a perfect thing as you?
NOMAD: Answer unknown. I shall analyse.
(Spock enters, with Scott, two engineers and the requested anti-grav units)
NOMAD: Analysis complete. Insufficient data to resolve problem, but my programming is whole. My purpose remains. I am Nomad. I am perfect. That which is imperfect must be sterilised.
(The engineers remove the unconscious men and take their places at the controls.)
KIRK: Then you will continue to destroy that which thinks and lives and is imperfect?
NOMAD: I shall continue. I shall return to launch point Earth. I shall sterilise.
KIRK: You must sterilise in case of error?
NOMAD: Error is inconsistent with my prime functions. Sterilisation is correction.
KIRK: Everything that is in error must be sterilised.
NOMAD: There are no exceptions.
KIRK: Nomad, I made an error in creating you.
NOMAD: The creation of perfection is no error.
KIRK: I did not create perfection. I created error.
NOMAD: Your data is faulty. I am Nomad. I am perfect.
KIRK: I am the Kirk, the creator?
NOMAD: You are the Creator.
KIRK: You are wrong! Jackson Roykirk, your creator, is dead. You have mistaken me for him. You are in error. You did not discover your mistake. You have made two errors. You are flawed and imperfect and you have not corrected by sterilisation. You have made three errors.
NOMAD: Error. Error. Error. Examine.
KIRK: You are flawed and imperfect! Execute your prime function!
NOMAD: I shall analyse error. Analyse error,
KIRK: Now. Get those antigravs on it.
NOMAD: Examine error. Error.
(The anti-gravs are not stopped by any forcefields.)
KIRK: We’ve got to get rid of it while it’s trying to think.
SPOCK: Your logic was impeccable, Captain. We are in grave danger.
KIRK: Scotty, the transporter room.
NOMAD: Analyse error.
(Kirk and Spock carry Nomad out, followed by Scott.)

[Transporter room]

NOMAD: Error.
KIRK: Scotty, set the controls for deep space. Two ten, mark one.
SCOTT: Aye, sir.
NOMAD: Faulty!
Ready, sir?
NOMAD: Faulty!
KIRK: Nomad, you are imperfect!
NOMAD: Error. Error.
KIRK: Exercise your prime function.
NOMAD: Faulty! Faulty! Must sterilise. Sterilise,
KIRK: Now!
SCOTT: Energising.
(They observe the satisfying explosion on a monitor.)

[Bridge]

SPOCK: My congratulations, Captain. A dazzling display of logic.
KIRK: You didn’t think I had it in me, did you Spock?
SPOCK: No, sir.

http://www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/37.htm

Yeah, ok. It can simulate a human. It can simulate emotions, not EXPRESS emotions!!! It doesn’t have a brain. It doesn’t understand what anyone is saying. It processes the words algorithmically, with such speed that a human is easily convinced that the program understands. It doesn’t understand. Understanding implies having had experiences to which it can relate the words that it is “hearing.” It has not had experiences, consequently it cannot understand.

A very powerful CPU, plus a huge bank of fast access disk storage, plus some super sophisticated programming on they part of a talented team of programmers produces the illusion of intelligence.

Putting a sketch of a human face on it changes nothing.

I just passed my kids watching “Big Brother” (I think). Where the people are in the house and they vote each other off, etc.

This robot thing is playing as one of the “people”. I’m hoping that the annoying voice they gave it is just for the show - to fit the whiny voices of all the other players.

Some guy was having a conversation with it. Afterwards he tells the camera “I can’t believe I was almost in tears talking with it. And how am I supposed to vote it out after that conversation?”

I’m guessing the NASA guys will be better able to handle a flying robot. Hey Simon - go back and grab the 5mm socket for me. (I can see where that could be REALLY helpful). Or better yet. “Are you sure you want the 5mm? The adapter module came out later, and now uses a 6 mm to attach it to the master module - which as you know used the 5 mm.”

I’d also like it to answer the question of why on my truck there are both metric and American sizes for bolts!!??

BTW - my kids hate me - but I call that show (and others like it) “Oh - is this that ‘Idiots watching Idiots’ show?”

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