I had an idea a couple of Novembers ago. I was brainstorming for Nanowrimo, the annual novel writing project, and I thought of a story involving a hitchhiking robot. The robot was a ‘reject’ from a factory and left to go on a soul-searching journey to figure out, who or what it was. Think of ‘On The Road’ mixed with some ‘Bomb The Suburbs.’ – That was pretty much all I had so I ditched it.
Then there was HitchBOT. Originating from Port Credit, Ontario. The one year old device perished the morning of August 1st in the city of ‘Robot-therly’ love(?). Shuffling from its metallic coil due to decapitation and dismemberment from a random. An unknown (maybe a soon to be figured out) human being, that may/may not have said ‘What, you think you’re better than me? Effin robot with your computer brain and ISHT. Take THAT! And THAT! Who’s cryin’ now, huh? BOOP, BEEP, BOOP, BEEP. EFF YOU’ … right before landing the deathblow.
Here is HitchBOT’s backstory to get you up to speed. Researchers at Ryerson University (in Toronto) concocted a “social experiment” in which a 25-pound robot would “depend on the kindness of strangers” by “hitchhiking” across Canada, parts of Europe and the United States. Designed as a fun, low stakes reversal on the sci-fi ultimate dystopian question, “Can man trust technology?” This central exercise in post human existentialism is seen in everything from ‘The Terminator to ‘iRobot’ to ‘The Matrix’ to ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ to Blade Runner’ to perhaps the most terrifying example of technology’s defeat of mankind: ‘Cars 2.’ In HitchBOT, researchers ask the opposite: “Can technology trust man?” I mean, it was fine in Canada, Europe, Boston and New York City. Then, it came to Philly, where it was beheaded.
Some might view this as getting caught up in the humanization of another distinctly non-human entity. See Cecil The Lion or ‘Toronto Raccoon.’ And that we really shouldn’t give two ISHT’s to a bucket with pool noodles and boots stuck to it.
However, I have a couple of takeaways from all of this.
1) Hundreds (thousands?) of people engaged with this robot over the course of I believe months (it was in Europe first). Of those thousands of interactions, only once did something bad happen. That’s a pretty good ratio by the standards of human nature.
2) This is a perfect example of the pessimism, cynicism, and urge to destroy things that pervades our country. If you DON’T want to participate in the fun, then just leave it alone. Please don’t rob others of the potential to contribute and be a part.
3) In all honesty, if they were looking for a teachable moment for kids, this was a better one than “Everyone is great!” I’d support an initiative to continue devising such experiments until we can do nothing but conclude people are not worth saving. Then, and only then, might we enter into a real, honest look at policy. Cthulu 2016.
When the robot revolution comes, Philly will be the first city to burn.
-Dagobot
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