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Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

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Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#11

Post by ChicagoBoy11 »

pdpi wrote: post #9
bouvin wrote: post #3

I quite like it. There was going to be an uncanny valley regardless, and BD clearly decided to lean into it.

I commented to this effect on a previous post: I find that the old Atlas leaned much more into the uncanny valley because it was sort of human-like in its movement. This one has some horror movie robot vibes going, but not the uncanny valley effect (not for me anyway).

I wonder if it has to do with the fact that they so front-and-center showcased the very un-human-like capabilities, whereas the other one almost seemed to try to just be an exceptionally athletic human.

Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#13

Post by HarHarVeryFunny »

It's interesting that a lot of people, including here on HN, find this new Atlas (does he/it have a name?) a bit unnerving or creepy.

Historically what people have found creepy about robots is when they become too human-like, especially facially - the "uncanny valley" where the face is so close to human that the slight differences give the feeling that something is wrong - like a dead body brought to life, perhaps.

What's unexpected about people feeling creeped out by this new son-of-Atlas is that it seems to be because of how un-human it is (opposite of uncanny valley!) in it's ability to rotate its head and torso and perform these double-jointed types of maneuver. Maybe in a factory setting this doesn't matter, but it's relevant in terms of robots used in other settings like hospitals. Japan seem to have the right idea in terms of making robots slightly smaller than humans and with friendly faces so that they seem non-intimidating.

Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#14

Post by realce »

consumer451 wrote: post #8
irrational wrote: post #2

Yeah, the getting up routine was terrifying. Like something out of a horror movie mixed with the Terminator.

I think it would do us some good to worry as much about the workforce implications of these tools at least as much as we worry about things like AGI/Skynet. Four years ago UBI was being widely discussed. Now as we get closer to needing it, discussion has all but disappeared. IMO, the biggest challenge going forward is not technological, but instead it's convincing powerful, very dogmatic individuals, that what is ess…

> IMO, the biggest challenge going forward is not technological, but instead it's convincing powerful, very dogmatic individuals, that what is essentially redistribution of wealth is a necessary thing.

Funny, I was going to reply about UBI being implemented with something like CBDC, that could be controlled by it's issuer and how it would be less equitable than obtaining money from labor. I was a die-hard Yang2020 person, so I'm very much in favor of UBI, but the implementation is extremely perilous because human evil exists.

Maybe we should just make Robot Unions.

Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#15

Post by inglor_cz »

HarHarVeryFunny wrote: post #13

It's interesting that a lot of people, including here on HN, find this new Atlas (does he/it have a name?) a bit unnerving or creepy. Historically what people have found creepy about robots is when they become too human-like, especially facially - the "uncanny valley" where the face is so close to human that the slight differences give the feeling that something is wrong - like a dead body brought to life, perhaps. W…

The faceless head is somewhat monstrous as well. I can almost see the ring going red just before the thing decides to slaughter the entire room.

Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#16

Post by inglor_cz »

consumer451 wrote: post #8
irrational wrote: post #2

Yeah, the getting up routine was terrifying. Like something out of a horror movie mixed with the Terminator.

I think it would do us some good to worry as much about the workforce implications of these tools at least as much as we worry about things like AGI/Skynet. Four years ago UBI was being widely discussed. Now as we get closer to needing it, discussion has all but disappeared. IMO, the biggest challenge going forward is not technological, but instead it's convincing powerful, very dogmatic individuals, that what is ess…

I wonder if, instead of UBI, it would make more sense to give everyone a small set of robot servants. Say, 6 per person.

Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#17

Post by futureshock »

ImHereToVote wrote: post #4
irrational wrote: post #2

Yeah, the getting up routine was terrifying. Like something out of a horror movie mixed with the Terminator.

I believe the technical term is 'foreshadowing'.

I commented to my partner that it feels like these things will be hunting us down soon. He commented that drones are already hunting people down on the battlefield today. Touché.

Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#18

Post by krapp »

HarHarVeryFunny wrote: post #13

It's interesting that a lot of people, including here on HN, find this new Atlas (does he/it have a name?) a bit unnerving or creepy. Historically what people have found creepy about robots is when they become too human-like, especially facially - the "uncanny valley" where the face is so close to human that the slight differences give the feeling that something is wrong - like a dead body brought to life, perhaps. W…

It's still firmly within the uncanny valley. That effect doesn't only apply to facial features - in this case it applies to the humanoid shape of the robot, which carries its own set of instinct-driven expectations. For example, some people think owls are creepy because of how far around they can turn their heads, even though they aren't even humanoid. But you see the same effect in horror movies, spinning heads or bodies that move in unexpected ways.

Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#19

Post by consumer451 »

realce wrote: post #14
consumer451 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it would do us some good to worry as much about the workforce implications of these tools at least as much as we worry about things like AGI/Skynet. Four years ago UBI was being widely discussed. Now as we get closer to needing it, discussion has all but disappeared. IMO, the biggest challenge going forward is not technological, but instead it's convincing powerful, very dogmatic individuals, that what is ess…

> IMO, the biggest challenge going forward is not technological, but instead it's convincing powerful, very dogmatic individuals, that what is essentially redistribution of wealth is a necessary thing. Funny, I was going to reply about UBI being implemented with something like CBDC, that could be controlled by it's issuer and how it would be less equitable than obtaining money from labor. I was a die-hard Yang2020 pe…

It truly blew my mind that UBI took off like it did back then. It's literal socialism with a different name.

The whole thing is going to be a lot to wrap our collective heads around. It will not be an easy path. I mean, my family escaped communism. I felt dirty as heck writing "redistribution of wealth" in my previous comment.

The funny thing here is that we are at a period in the history of capitalism where it has succeeded so wildly, that it's about to make it's core societal tenants obsolete.

Re: Boston Dynamics' new electric Atlas robot is swiveling nightmare fuel

#20

Post by SuchAnonMuchWow »

HarHarVeryFunny wrote: post #13

It's interesting that a lot of people, including here on HN, find this new Atlas (does he/it have a name?) a bit unnerving or creepy. Historically what people have found creepy about robots is when they become too human-like, especially facially - the "uncanny valley" where the face is so close to human that the slight differences give the feeling that something is wrong - like a dead body brought to life, perhaps. W…

I think it's still the same "uncanny valley" phenomenon: because the body looks more like a human, we are more creeped when we discover how it moves its joints because we were expecting something more human. We wouldn't be creeped by a car/robot moving its wheels in weird directions, but we are with a humanoid robot moving its legs that way.
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