Robots and Their "Will to Live"
Linthe's “Will to live” blog post examines the concept of creatureness, particularly focusing on the instinctual desire or will to live. It discusses how this aspect is evident in humans and draws examples from the movie “WALL-E” and the series “Westworld”, where this element of creatureness is also seen in robots. Furthermore, the post discusses self-preservation, and raises questions about consciousness and autonomy in artificial beings.
The reason why this post motivated me to dive deeper into this topic, is because it challenges the understanding of life and autonomy. As someone with an interest in biology, I'm fascinated by the question of whether robots can develop behaviors similar to biological survival instincts. From a biological viewpoint, organisms have evolved ways to protect themselves over millions of years. Considering this, the idea of robots exhibiting similar behaviors raises thought-provoking questions about consciousness and autonomy. Specifically, questions might arise regarding the extent to which robots can develop self-awareness, experience emotions, and make autonomous decisions all of which could potentially contribute to an instinctual desire to live.
Expanding on this, let's look at some existing robots.
Boston Dynamics' robots, like atlas and spot, are designed to maintain balance and avoid obstacles, demonstrating a form of self-preservation. While not explicitly programmed to survive in a human sense, their ability to adapt to prevent damage or continue functioning in challenging environments hints at a basic level of self-perseverance. This real-world example shows potential for future advancements where robots could exhibit more complex forms of the will to live, blending the lines between biological instinct and artificial programming.
The robotic pet dog, Aibo by Sony, also demonstrates a form of self-preservation through its ability to navigate through an environment. Aibo can avoid obstacles, recognize the edge of surfaces to prevent falls, and automatically return to its charging station when its battery runs low, showcasing a simplistic yet effective “survival instinct”.
Atlas, Spot, and Aibo exemplify how robots can embody self-preservation instincts, merging biological survival behaviors with technology. Their capabilities to maintain balance, avoid obstacles, or seek energy autonomously showcase the potential for robots to exhibit life-like survival strategies. We now shift focus to a hypothetical robot designed to illustrate self-preservation and survival instincts through innovative technology and adaptive behaviors.
HideyBot
HideyBot is a hypothetical robot that illustrates self-preservation and survival instincts. It is a small, smart robot that acts like animals do in nature. It has special skin that can change colors to blend in with its surroundings, just like a chameleon. HideyBot uses sensors to detect movements around it. If it senses something big moving close by, it changes color to blend in with the ground or walls, making it hard for others to spot. By using its wheels, it can quickly roll away to a safe place if it needs to. The main thing HideyBot tries to do is stay safe by using its color-changing skin and fast moves. It's a simple way to show how even a basic robot can have the “instinct” to protect itself.
When HideyBot's battery gets low, it switches to “Survival Mode”. This makes it look for light to recharge its batteries with its built-in solar panels. HideyBot also remembers where it last found light and safety. If it's close to running out of power, it goes back to those places. This shows it's not just trying to hide but also making sure it can continue functioning. This mix of hiding and seeking light to stay “alive” makes HideyBot a robot that illustrates a desire to live.
Through observing how HideyBot reacts to its surroundings, we could gain insights into the potential for robots to adaptively respond to challenges, just like animals do. Exploring how robots keep themselves safe could help us develop more autonomous and resilient machines capable of handling difficult or dangerous environments.