Vourhon came into the storage room on the ship, RE was there, busy with organizing food
supplies. Let us have a brake for lunch, Vourhon said.
I know a nice restaurant, not far from here. So they went away for some well deserved
food.
After finishing their meal, Vourhon presented a small book to RE. I want you to read this
and we will discuss it tonight. So before you start with your work again, I want you to
read this, it's just a small text about robots.
No problem RE replied, I will read immediately when I come back to the ship.
The Robot.
It was a sensation when Re-Robotics introduced it, they had been talking about this
product for years and the anticipation was hyped to the max. People had been talking
about this for a long time. The most advanced robot ever.
Taste the words in your mouth, in your mind, the most advanced robot ever, the one that
would almost erase the difference between man and machine.
How did they managed to construct this robot?
People where fascinated beyond the normal levels of anticipation. It was a masterpiece of
creativity and mechanical engineering.
It was the most advanced construction ever conceived on this planet.
For that matter it was the most advanced construction in the entire sector of that reality.
The robot could walk and talk, and how impressive that was, there was another feature
that impressed even more, this robot had the ability to learn.
Of course it came with a basic programming, witch would surpass what any robot ever
would have dreamt of before.
All the facts that where available on that planet was downloaded as basic programming,
of course, when it was available.
And of course this was an impressive feature, but the access to knowledge was not an
issue anymore, the development had taken them far away from their knowledge starved
history.
No it was the possibility to program your robot after your own mind that made it so
exciting. Of course this was a very expensive product. With all that research and expensive
circuitry it had to be expensive.
It was thought of as a prestige project for the company, Re-Robotics, the leading robot
manufacturer at that time.
They had a thought, if you want a robot that acts as you want it to do, you have program it
yourself, and that can be a very tedious job, and most people are not all that interested,
especially rich people.
They want it to work instantly. But this robot could not do that. That was not the idea with
this one.
It was to create the most advanced robot ever, and they had succeeded, this machine had
the ability to learn anything.
You just had to expose it to different difficulties and it would adapt.
But that was a flaw in their initial design, because to teach a robot to be extraordinary, you
have to be extraordinary your self.
People didn't take that in to account when they purchased one of the new robots.
Everyone was really excited and all the rich and wealth wanted to be a part of this
wonderful moment in history was introduced, to own the most advanced robot ever.
Re-Robotics sold these very expensive robots as hot cakes on a cold winter day, but it did,'t
last long, before complaints where coming on the ultranet,
People where complaining that the robot wasn't that marvelous as they thought it would
be.
Sales started to drop and RE-Robotic where facing a the most serious problem ever, they
had put all their resources into this project and it had to be a success, otherwise the
company would not survive.
What was then the problem with their robots, what had gone wrong with the most
intelligent robot ever?
Easy, people didn't know how to program it. They didn't understand that this robot was
depending on raw models to reach its full potential.
You had to spend time with your robot, to teach, to be the raw model. When this fact
reached the customers, there was a short time of relieve for the factory, but it all started
soon again, the complaints.
The robot didn't fulfill the expectations from their owners. Sadly. It seemed like RE-
Robotics was bound to failure. Their customers was not able to release the full potential in
their very advanced robots.
But Re-Robotics had one resource that was of the utmost importance in this very difficult
situation, their marketing division, and they was able to find a solution to this very
problematic situation.
They changed the basic concept, from a high end product with limited use, to a mass
product that would be a very interesting experience.
Because as said before, you had to program this robot by spending time with it, to give the
robot personality, beyond simple or even very advanced programming.
That meant that the outcome of this robot was very variated, to say the least.
It all depended on the input, if the owner was a educated, emphatic being, the robot
would be just like that and if the owner turned out to be a narrow minded, hateful being,
the result of the robot would be just like that.
It was a very interesting concept and it turned out to a instant success, people liked to be
around someone like themselves.
So RE-Robotics managed to turn a threatening disaster into a mega success.
And there the small book ended. Later that evening RE came together with Vourhon and
he asked him, have you read the book and if so, do you have any comment about it.
Yes, the obvious one is that weather you are a human being or a advanced robot, there is
not much difference. We are all the time dependent on our programming and whether is is
preprogrammed or if it is a ongoing learning process, we are always, in the end, so utterly
dependent on a good source of instructions if we want to have a good life.
And also, in one sense it is fair to say, that if the technical level is advanced enough, I could
be a robot myself, there is no way of telling and I do believe that this is not important, your
basic “construction” whether you call your self a life form or a robot, what matters in only
your experience.
Because I have come to realize that out there in hyper space, I could meet some life form,
so advanced that they would consider me as a simple robot, but that is of no concern to
me, because I can only relate to mu own experiences and act upon them.
Very well, 'Vourhon was pleased with his young disciples understanding of the text that
was presented to him to day.
And Vourhon continued, that goes both ways, if you encounter life forms that are inferior
to your lever, you will not treat in a bad way, you understand the importance of treating
everyone equal?
RE looked at Vourhon and said, that I have tried all my life, to respect all life, regardless
shape or evolution.
That is very good my friend, now it is time to go and have something to eat.
Back.