Whoa. I missed the boat on what is older news (April 2017)- Sophia the life-like robot, developed by Hanson Robotics.

I was kickin’ back at a buddy’s house and he handed me his phone and said “Check this out.” We always talk over a large variety of stuff, and I watched the video and we talked about Sophia, the world’s most lifelike and intelligent android.

This is crazy stuff, science fiction come true. A human-like robot mated with a supercomputer. I knew that advances in robotics and artificial intelligence have been accelerating, but somehow I missed Sophia- a real breakthrough.

Here is a machine that shows the potential of creating robots that look like us and learn- remarkable. Eerie.

I’m not sure what to make of this development. I know what Elon Musk thinks, and if you have a chance, read up on his work in Brain Machine Interfaces, it’ll take a while, but it’s worth checking out.

Artificial intelligence is a sword that cuts both ways, as with all technological advances. Personally, I think it would be best to give each human their own AI companion/internet link so that we can develop a partnership with the computers (like in my books), as opposed to an adversarial relationship (think Terminator.) Way too easy to think of all the ways this could go wrong. If handled properly, though, it could be great.

At a minimum, these life-like robots will be developed as servants, companions and sex toys. I’ll bet money on that. One can use one’s imagination to go on from there. Expert assassins, kindly teachers, the list goes on.

Sophia is just the start, people want this to happen. Whether it’s a good idea? Give it a decade or two and we’ll find out.

Surely coming to a Wal-Mart near you by 2040.