Robotics are rapidly reaching an inflection point. In a foreseeable future, robots — ranging from the very large to the minuscule — will be performing a wide array of functions: from autonomously transporting and delivering all manner of goods, to picking and packing vegetables, to entertaining children and the elderly, to rescuing humans and performing medical procedures. Within 25 years, many experts contend that most jobs will involve robots working in close proximity with humans or robots and/or artificial intelligence having eliminated the need for human involvement.

Robots are at the confluence of several technological fields, including engineering, computer science and communications. This makes it difficult to find a commonly accepted definition of exactly what is a robot.

Notwithstanding these challenges, defining the robot is essential to any discussion regarding robotics, including whether to regulate robots and, if so, to what extent.

I propose the following simple, albeit imperfect, definition:

“A robot is a machine capable of sensing its environment and which, through motion, adapts to, and interacts with, its environment.”

I understand that a robot senses through sensors and adapts and interacts with what it perceives through computations.

My definition requires a machine that is a physical embodiment capable of action. In other words, the artificial intelligence software impersonating a human woman in the 2013 movie “Her” would not be a robot within the meaning of the above definition. Similarly, an oven or thermostat that adjusts the temperature based on its readings is not a robot within the aforementioned definition.

My definition is agnostic as to whether a robot is autonomous or controlled by a human (the so-called master/servant relationship). This having been said, as artificial intelligence advances one can expect robots to become increasingly autonomous, without the need for continuous human supervision or control.  Note that Bill Gates and Elon Musk, among many, have raised strong concerns about certain potential uses of artificial intelligence, and that now is the time for democracies to put in place guardrails against nefarious or unintended consequences flowing from this technology.

My definition also does not exclude sentient robots, i.e., robots capable of self-awareness through artificial intelligence. But sentient robots will require considerable advances in artificial intelligence and we are probably some time away from such machines.

This is the second of a series on robots for this blog. Throughout 2021, I will continue to examine risks posed by the introduction of robots into the economy, and attempt to propose solutions to mitigate negative consequences.