What to Expect When You're Expecting Robots

August 10, 2020
Factory workers, personal shoppers, delivery persons, security guards: the robots are coming, and this timely book looks at what humans should be doing to prepare. Shah, an MIT associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics, and Major, CTO for an automaker’s self-driving car division, lay their argument’s groundwork with a brief look at early autonomous systems in aviation and the space program. Autopilots allow pilots to handle long flights, and Apollo Program missions relied on automated computer guidance to get to the moon and back. Looking ahead to the future, Major and Shah discuss how robots will change everyday life (noting that “as working moms with an ever-growing to-do list, we personally look forward to these changes”) and also create problems. One issue arises from the human tendency to assign personalities to devices; in fact, “the more anthropomorphic the system is, the more likely a person is to inappropriately rely on its suggestions, advice, or actions.” Another problem is overcrowding and traffic—for instance, San Francisco already had to limit the number of sidewalk delivery robots in 2017. With some 30 million robots currently employed in homes around the world, Major and Shaw show where current expectations are accurate, and where both humans and robots still have a lot to learn.

November 13, 2020

Robots today range from disembodied voices like Alexa to vacuum cleaners such as the Roomba to vehicle navigation systems. Though smart, they lack empathy and require human supervision. Robot designers Major and Shah discuss these types of robots and their effect on society, but they also introduce the concept of what a future of social robots might entail and how robot-human relationships could evolve. This book is filled with real-life examples and creative projections of how robots behave. From robot failures causing plane and car crashes to situations in which robots truly make human life easier in settings like hospitals, Major and Shah detail the intricacies of how robots work and what happens when they do not. The work is engaging and aimed at the layperson who works with the everyday "robot," and each chapter has a clever title that keeps readers turning pages. VERDICT Unlike dry technology books, this accessible account incorporates absorbing writing, personal anecdotes, and scientific projections of life with robots. The authors' writing will speak to readers interested in futuristic technology and those who enjoy comparing current innovations to upcoming technologies.--Natalie Browning, Longwood Univ. Lib., Farmville, VA

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