Humans are underrated

Ideas are easy. Reality is hard. Doctors and pilots are often too stressed out to perform properly, if you are working 20 hour days you're probably out of it at hour 16. Careless mistakes often happen because people are expected to be machines. Humans were not made to do any of this. We're apes that have in a few thousands years decided we rather be machines. Not really decided, more like been coerced into being machines. And we don't know how to shut the system which tells us these things, which are lies, off. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean that you should. Human beings don't understand this concept. Just because you can do something, and someone wants you to, you absolutely should is the current human way of looking at the world.

> responsible

That part is kind of weird to me. I understand you want someone to be "responsible", but what do you expect the response to be? This doctor failed to deliver, let's fire himher. What follows? You get a better doctor, hopefully. Wouldn't it be better to have an algorithm that can be improved when it fails, so you don't have to train a whole new doctor to replace the bad one? Plus, you can have every single robot doctor be exactly as good at everything. No more "you need to find the best surgeon for X". You can have as many best surgeons as you can economically build.

The responsibility would fall on the robot's designers to improve their software, so it doesn't make the mistake in question. And you will be able to assure people that no doctor will ever make that mistake ever again. Imagining that all these robots are linked, or at least synchronise every couple of days, they would learn a lot faster than a human.

At this point, I would welcome a completely robotic doctor.

Could you imagine, a Computer Doctor says, "I have throughly scanned every study, ever produced on SSRI's, and I don't want to make your life more difficult by a placebo response? I've made a calculated decision, and decided you might benefit from this off label drug. Try this drug for a few days? If it doesn't work, or you are skeptical of my recommendation; I have a Medical Doctors waiting for you at this hospital. Here are their resumes, work history, and patient evaluations. Just bring your ID. Money is not necessary.(Your taxes paid for this service.) Have a great day!"

Computer, "Your pain is real. Pick up your prescription for pain pills at the pharmacy of your choice. I will only need to see you once a year. If my database, shows any signs of abuse; I will direct you to a drug rehab facility." No ass kissing! No needless office visists(visits to make money?). No stereotyping?

In reality, I'm not for replcing doctors with computers; just the financial game some doctors have abused in order to become wealthy? I am definetly tired of office visits more than once a year for patients whom illness is stabilized.

I've been a researcher in the field of human-robot interaction for a while, and I'm not too sure this article's claims will remain true in the future.

There is significant interest in robots and computers achieving social competencies including tasks like storytelling, empathetic interactions, creative collaboration, and even traditional psychotherapy.

The surprising part is that humans are (at least for now) generally very accepting of and engaged with the robots/AI performing these tasks. Interestingly of the hundreds of people I've personally worked with in these types of studies, only a couple have ever viewed the technology as "a tool" or "non-social agent".

Maybe people won't accept these kinds of systems once widespread, but for now there is significant interest in developing them. For a small example, just scan the titles of this year's HRI conference [1].

[1] http://humanrobotinteraction.org/2015/program-2/proceedings-...

Peter Thiel's opinion: computers complement humans, not compete with them.