长得像人的机器人，更亲切还是吓死你？

03 长得像人的机器人，更亲切还是吓死你？

松子是一名人形机器主持人，他在日本深夜档电视节目中广受欢迎，迷倒了大片日本观众。但在太平洋彼岸的硅谷，那里的研究人员出于道德考虑，选择了截然不同的路径。辩论由此展开，机器人长得跟人类越来越像，究竟好还是不好？

不管我们喜不喜欢，机器在日常生活中越来越常见，已经成为了我们生活的基本组成部分。

随着科技日新月异，机器人的外貌和行为举止都越来越像人类。但机器人需要和人类相像到什么程度，才能更容易被人类接受呢？

人形机器人的兴起

人形机器人松子以日本名人松子DELUXE为原型。他是首位在日本电视节目中连续出镜六个月的人形机器人。

Nearly half a century ago, the term Uncanny Valley was coined to refer to the point where robots, due to their near, but not quite human appearance, elicit anxiety rather than empathy from the people around them.

大概在五十年前，人们用“诡异之谷”（又译作“恐怖谷”）这一术语指代这样一种情形：机器人近似人类、却又不是人类的长相，将引发身边人类的恐慌情绪，而不是某种共鸣。

Researchers at Japanese universities and companies are once again trying to explore human-like robots, this time trying to overcome Uncanny Valley, in the hope that they will be socially acceptable.

日本的大学和企业里的研究人员再次开始探索人形机器人。这一次，他们希望能跨越“诡异之谷”阶段，让人形机器人更容易被社会接受。

The late night evening show was widely popular, captivating Japanese viewers with the stunning human-like appearance of the android host.

这档深夜电视节目广受欢迎，与人类面容极其相似的仿真机器主持人迷倒了大片日本观众。

另一种声音

人形机器人到底有没有可能超越鬼把戏或新奇事物这个层面呢？对于很多日本以外的机器人专家来说，一味追求研究人形机器人或许适得其反。

Across the Pacific, in Silicon Valley, researchers are looking at the human issues of the robotics in very different ways.Specifically, they are not building humanoid robots, but they are trying to build robots that understand, anticipate, and predict what people are going to do and then learn how to live in the same space as them.

在太平洋另一边的硅谷，专家们也在研究类人机器人，然而方法却大不相同。具体来说，他们研制的并非人形机器人，而是能够理解、预知、预测人类行为，并学习如何与人类共处的机器人。

According to robot researchers like Stanford's Silvio Savarese who built the Jack robot, trying to make robots appear human will scare people around them.

斯坦福大学研制出杰克的机器人专家西尔维奥·萨瓦雷塞表示，将机器人造得跟人类太像会引起周围人的恐慌。

When Google recently put its Boston Dynamics Robotics Division up for sale, it was at least partly because it worried about the fears arouse by its eerily human machines.

谷歌最近将波士顿动力机器人部门出售，部分原因正是公司担心它的人形机器人会引起人们的恐惧。

争论

Multiple studies have shown cultural differences and attitude towards robots.Generally, people in Japan are considered more tolerant of human-like robots since they have been exposed to them in animation and exhibition from young age.

许多研究显示，就文化差异和对待机器人的态度而言，日本人总体上更能接受人形机器人，因为他们从小就通过动画片和展览接触了许多人形机器人。

日本的支持者表示：

When robots resemble humans, users will feel emotionally connected.They claim that elderly, in particular, find it less embarrassing to speak to robots if they look like people.

用户在使用人形机器人时可以产生情感共鸣。他们认为尤其老年人跟机器说话时，如果他们长得像人类就不那么尴尬。

大阪大学的石黑浩教授认为：

Human-like robots serve a purpose that cannot be achieved by function-specific robots.

人形机器人可以达到的目标是特定功能机器人所无法实现的。

But in many other countries, the idea of humanoid helpers raises deep ethical worries.

不过在很多其他国家，研制人形机器助手的想法，引发了许多道德层面的担忧。

硅谷企业家杰瑞·卡普兰称：

It creates a sense of a social connection that's basically a lie.It's a falsehood.And I think we have something of a moral obligation to take better care of our elderly.The person providing the care should be capable to have a genuine authentic sympathetic reaction to the concerns and cares of that person.

这会创造一种社会关系，而这种关系是建立在不真实的基础上的。我觉得我们应该有某种道德义务，让老人得到更好的照料。提供老年关怀的人应该真正对受照顾者抱有同情心。

优达学城总裁及董事长塞巴斯蒂安·特龙表示：

I am not a believer in making robots look and act like people.Actually I believe in the opposite.I believe that technology complements us and make us superhuman.

我不太认同把机器人造得看上去很像人类。我的理念正好相反，我认为技术是对人类的补充，帮助人类变得更强大。

斯坦福大学高级研究员温迪·朱认为：

There is no need to make robots look like humans.We already project our own human qualities on to them.

没必要把机器人造得像人类，我们已经在机器人身上影射出了人类的特质。

让这些新生的人造人类成为我们中的一员，要实现这个愿景还任重道远。尽管机器人技术在不断进步，但要让科学家和公司跨越“诡异之谷”困境，实现人类和机器人和谐共处，还有很长的路要走。

词汇总结

elicit [ɪ'lɪsɪt]

vt.抽出，引出；引起

Robots, due to their near, but not quite human appearance, elicit anxiety rather than empathy from the people around them.

机器人近似人类、却又不是人类的长相，将引发身边人类的恐慌情绪，而不是某种共鸣。

captivate ['kæptɪveɪt]

vt.迷住，迷惑

The late night evening show was widely popular, Japanese viewers with the stunning human-like appearance of the android host.

这档深夜电视节目广受欢迎，与人类面容极其相似的仿真机器主持人迷倒了大片日本观众。

humanoid ['hjuːmənɒɪd]

adj.像人的

n.类人动物

anticipate [æn'tɪsɪpeɪt]

vt.预期，期望；占先，抢先；提前使用

Specifically, they are not building humanoid robots, but they are trying to build robots that understand, anticipate, and predict what people are going to do and then learn how to live in the same space as them.

具体来说，他们研制的并非人形机器人，而是能够理解、预知、预测人类行为，并学习如何与人类共处的机器人。

eerily [ɪə.rɪ.li]

adv.怪诞地；奇异地；可怕地

When Google recently put its Boston Dynamics Robotics Division up for sale, it was at least partly because it worried about the fears arouse by its eerily human machines.

谷歌最近将波士顿动力机器人部门出售，部分原因正是公司担心它的人形机器人会引起人们的恐惧。