THE ROBOT REVOLUTION
Introduction
Robots! Chatbots!
Artificial Intelligence! Machine Learning! New Technology! What is the world
coming to?
It’s coming to the
Robot Revolution. That’s what it’s coming to. And how will we react when we see
more and more robots in our daily life?
Will we love them and want to marry them as Scott does in “Marrying
Zelda”? Or want to hold a funeral for them when they break down and die as Frederick
Some people will
probably hate them and try to get rid of them as Harold does in “Harold’s Robot
Companion.” Others will be driven to distraction by robotic stupidity like Mr.
Hemming in “The Office of Vital Statistics.” A few people like Jimmy in
“Baxter” might find their robot companions are telling them what to eat, what
to wear, and whom to date.
It’s not just
robots. All kinds of new technology is rushing toward us. When self-driving
cars are everywhere, will anyone know how to operate the old-fashioned,
human-driven cars? That’s what happens when the family has to get Granny to the
hospital in the city, and a tree has fallen on the autonomous car in “If It
Ain’t One Thing.”
And chatbots!
Don’t get me started on chatbots! In “The Internet of Things” Amazon Alexa
catches Stella’s husband in some hanky panky with the next-door neighbor. In
“The Diamond Bracelet” Miriam uses Alexa to guilt her husband into buying her
the jewelry. The narrator of “A Real Girl” falls in love with Gwen, whom he
talks to only online. I can’t tell you anymore. You’ll have to read it for
yourself.
Yes, the Robot
Revolution is around the corner. I hope this book will help you prepare for it.
